


I Need You

by aergl0



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Continuous, F/M, Gen, ongoing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 109,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22369048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aergl0/pseuds/aergl0
Summary: It started at a gas station, with a sick man and three dead people, who then … weren’t dead.From Cook County, the CDC, the Greene family farm, Tala Canagan knew that Shane Walsh was the one who she was going to get through the apocalypse with.She needed him. In so many ways, for such a long time, she knew she had needed him. It had just taken the end of the world for her to realise.
Relationships: Shane Walsh/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. Apocalypse

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is a continuous work that I'm hoping I can write throughout the entire series. I know we're currently on season 10 of the show but I'm finishing school soon so I can hopefully keep this going as much as I can with the show!

#  One 

##  **_A p o c a l y p s e_ **

_ /əˈpɒkəlɪps/ _

_ Noun - the complete final destruction of the world, as described in the biblical book of Revelation. _

✦

Tala grabbed what clothes she could as hands could be heard smacking against the window. Her colleague, Shane Walsh, could also be heard looking for knives in the kitchen drawers. Sighing, Tala zipped up her rucksack as she finished packing.   
‘Shane? We should go,’ She called out. After getting no reply, she shouted again. ‘Shane, we need to fucking go.’   
Shane had just come from the local hospital after trying to save their other colleague, Rick Grimes. They had all worked together at the King County Sheriff Department, but Rick had been admitted into hospital after getting shot on the job. He was in a coma for a few weeks, but Shane brought back the news that he was dead.   
Tala hurried into the kitchen, pushing the thought to the back of her mind. As she walked past the expansive windows that looked over the garden, she couldn't help but look at the arrangement of flowers close to the back fence. Taking a shaky breath, she tore her eyes away to look back in front of her. There would be time to grieve for everyone that had been lost later. In that moment, she couldn't afford to be anything other than collected.  
Groans and snarls from the undead walking the streets outside drifted through an open window. Tala picked up the bag beside Shane as he finished gathering supplies and they looked at each other for a moment before Shane sighed and swung the back door open.   
‘We’ll make a run for the car. Put the bags in the back with Carl and Lori,’ he said, glancing to check if it was clear. Tala nodded, tightening her grip on the bags. Suddenly, they were sprinting down her front path towards the waiting car. Tala wrenched open one of the doors before pushing two of the bags she was carrying next to Rick’s wife and son,   
Lori and Carl. She slammed it shut again and ran around to the passenger seat. The infected had already started to come towards them as they had made the short journey from the house to the road.  Tala put her rucksack at her feet as Shane pulled away and started driving, panting slightly as adrenaline coursed through her body. She stared out of the window, her heart hammering in her chest as they drove through the town. It was already becoming overrun in the few days that the disease had broken out, and there had been little help from the military. Shane and Tala had been in the dark at the station, responding to calls from people all over town, only for them to figure out the hard way that you can only stop them by shooting them in the head, with a call from a soldier somewhere hectic coming hours after they had realised. Shane reached over and turned on the radio, filling the car with the emergency broadcasts that had been playing on a loop since yesterday.   
‘The emergency broadcast system has been activated. The Office of Civil Defence has issued the following message. Normal broadcasting will be ceased immediately. This is a civil emergency warning. Please do not venture outside, if possible, at all costs. Remain calm. Help is on the way.’  
After about five minutes of the robotic voice droning the same speech, Tala reached over and turned it off while Shane sighed.  
‘What? You want to listen to that crap?’ She snapped at him. Shane shrugged but didn’t reply so Tala fished her phone out of her bag. Telecommunications hadn’t cut out yet so she could still call her mother, but Tala didn’t know for how much longer. After the dialling tone rang for around a minute the call finally connected.   
‘Hello? Tala, is that you?’ A shaky voice answered from the other end of the line.   
‘Hey, mum, it’s me. Are you and John safe?’ Tala replied, forcing herself to appear calm.  
‘I’m safe, yes. Your father’s with me too. I do wish you called him that. Do you know what’s going on? I saw a man with his arms cut off walk past the house. Recently cut off,’ Her mother said. Tala bit her lip. So it was the same in Britain, too.   
‘Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, but I think it’s like what happened in that Shaun of the Dead film. Do you remember watching that? Just get some sort of weapon to protect yourself with and try to stay indoors,’ Tala hoped to God she didn’t sound as upset and scared as she felt. She found that she had been hoping to God a lot more recently.  
After a pause, her mum replied. ‘Oh, well then … Your brother and sister are going to be here soon, with the kids. How’s everyone over there? Mark, Eliza, Ashley? Shane?’   
‘Everyone’s fine. We’re all good,’ Tala lied, her eyes welling up. She couldn’t bear to tell her the truth about how her family had died. ‘Mum? Tell everyone I love them, so much.’   
‘That’s good, sweetheart. How’s Rick doing, is he any better? I hope you all stay safe. I will, we all love you so much too. Oh! I’m afraid I have to go, your father has been quite ill after he got bitten by some nutter. I’m sorry darling, but I’ll call back when the others are here too. Send everyone our love!’  
‘I love you too, mum, but wait - did you say he got bitten?’ She tried to say but the call cut off and her chest tightened. Tala looked down at her phone, panic rising through her chest like vomit and coming out as a tear slipping down her cheek. Shane reached over and gently stroked her hand with his thumb.   
‘I’m sorry, Tala. Your parents were good people,’ He said softly.  
‘Are,’ Tala said sharply, looking up at Shane. She softened slightly and looked out of the window again, another tear slipping down her face. ‘They are good people,’ She whispered.  
Shane squeezed her hand and nodded. ‘They are good people.’  
‘We’re good people too,’ Lori said from the back and Shane pulled his hand away. Tala wiped her face, sniffing slightly.  
‘Yeah, we are,’ Shane replied and Lori seemed happy enough, settling back down with her son.   
After half an hour of driving down the increasingly busy freeway, the car came to a stop in the biggest traffic jam Tala had been in all her life. Shane cursed under his breath in frustration. Tala got out of the car to try to see what she knew she would find. From where the car was, Tala could see at least a couple miles of lined up cars ahead, and when she looked behind, she saw ever-growing lines of cars trailing back. Helicopters flew overhead, towards the city of Atlanta, where they had been heading for the refugee camp. Tala sighed and got back in the car.   
‘There’s just this for as far as you can see. I don’t think we’ll be moving for a while,’ She told Shane. He sighed and closed his eyes. Tala turned around to face Carl and smiled.  
‘What do you usually do for fun when you’re stuck in traffic?’ She asked.   
Carl smiled back at her. ‘I usually play a game that I’ve taken with me,’ The young boy opened his school bag next to him and pulled out a deck of cards. ‘Wanna play snap?’   
‘Of course! Let me come in the back with you,’ Lori and Tala swapped seats, and as the two played games in the back, the adults in the front talked in low, serious voices. 

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

They had only moved around a hundred yards by the time it became dusk. Shane had stopped talking an hour earlier when a tank had been seen getting flown into the city. Lori was in the back again, napping with Carl, and Tala listened to the CDs that Shane kept in his car to dull the echoing gunfire sounding from the city. A police car sped down the other side of the freeway, which was pretty much empty. Finally, Shane spoke again, his voice barely a murmur.   
‘Maybe we should be in there, too,’ His eyes followed the flashing lights curving round a corner. Tala looked at him for a moment. The thought had been on her mind, too.   
‘Maybe we should. We’re not, though,’ She replied. Shane tore his eyes away from where the lights had been to her and she sighed. ‘Doesn’t look like we’d make much difference. Do you really think there’s a refugee camp?’  
Shane didn’t answer for a few moments, still looking at Tala. She could see his thought process in his eyes. ‘I don’t know. I’m hoping so.’  
Lori woke up as an explosion went off nearby. Everyone looked up quickly as plumes of smoke started rising out of the city in front of them. Shane opened his door to get out but Tala reached out and grabbed his arm.  
‘Wait! Where are you going?’ She asked almost fearfully. Anxiety clutched at her chest as tightly as she clutched Shane, the intrusive thought of being alone flooding her.  
‘I’m just going to see what’s happening. I’ll be fine,’ He smiled reassuringly.  
‘I’m coming with you,’ Lori declared, opening her own door. ‘Tala, would you take care of Carl for me, please?’  
She smiled nervously, the panic staying. ‘Of course. Stay safe, both of you.’  
Shane nodded as Lori kissed Carl’s forehead and the two walked away through the cars. Tala noticed the family in the car next to then, playing checkers with their doors open. She took Carl to introduce themselves, not being able to stand doing nothing in the car.   
The family of three seemed like nice people, and as Carl settled to play checkers with Sophia, a girl around his own age, Tala got to know her parents. Ed Peletier mainly talked, telling her about where he and his wife Carol lived and what they did. Tala noticed that Carol was quite timid, and she seemed to flinch if Ed even slightly raised his voice. She supposed it could just be the gunfire.   
After a long time, Lori and Shane came back. Lori was crying. Carl ran over to her and Tala excused herself before walking over to Shane.   
‘Mom, why are you crying? Mom, what’s wrong?’ Carl cried, sounding like he was choking as Lori pulled him into a hug.  
‘Shane, what happened?’ Tala asked, preparing herself. Shane shook his head, looking down.  
‘Atlanta has fallen. It’s gone. There’s no camp. It’s gone,’ He said lowly, pulling her into an embrace. ‘You were right Tala. It didn’t make a difference.’


	2. Reunion

# Two

##  **_R e u n i o n_ **

_/Riːˈjuːnɪən/_

_Noun - an instance of two or more people coming together again after a period of separation._

✦

Brushing her hair away from her face, Tala glanced up at the treeline to see Shane and Lori walking out of the forest together. Tala’s eyes met Shane’s for a fraction before he looked away, almost shamefully. The two walked over to Carl and Shane started teaching him how to tie knots. Tala sighed and went back to cutting some of the roots she had gathered.   
Base camp was peaceful, most of the time. Sometimes the calmness unnerved Tala, as though some of the members of the group had forgotten what was out there. She knew they hadn't, but still. They were good actors.   
The outpost had been set up by Shane after what had happened the night they left. Ed, Carol and Sophia joined them and eventually other survivors arrived too. Everyone, or at least most people, did their fair share of work, and they all worked to survive together. The camp itself was based beside a lake formed from a quarry, just north on the highway from Atlanta, in a parking space for hikers and campers who wanted to go to the forest or rock climb.   
One of the survivors who had come to the group, Amy, paced up and down near where Tala was sitting. She was young, around the same age as Tala. Apparently they looked similar, too. Blonde hair, blue eyes, slim figure. Tala reckoned that was where the resemblance ended, though.  
Tala’s focus slipped from the roots to watching Amy’s anxiety. Several members of the group had gone to the city to scavenge, including Amy’s sister, Andrea, and it had been hours since they had been in contact. Thunder ripped through the air as she stopped walking.  
‘It's late, they should have been back by now,’ she fretted. An elderly man that Tala quite liked called Dale looked up from his RV engine sympathetically.  
‘Worrying won't make it any better, you know,’ he said and Amy sighed irritably. Tala finished up as a man’s voice could be heard on the radio.  
‘Hello, base camp?’ Tala looked up as Shane and the rest of the group came over. ‘Can anybody out there hear me? Base camp, this is T-Dog, can anybody hear me?’  
‘Hello? Hello?’ Dale replied hurriedly. ‘Reception is bad at this end, repeat.’  
‘Shane, is that you?’ The feed dropped for a moment.   
‘Is that them?’ Lori asked and Tala tried not to roll her eyes as Shane glanced at her.   
‘We’re trapped in the department store,’ T-Dog continued and Shane ran his hand through his hair.   
‘Did he say they're trapped?’ He asked.   
‘That’s what I heard,’ Tala murmured. Anxiety settled in her chest as she thought of the situation. Going into the city to scavenge for supplies was an adrenaline fuelled journey that usually ended well - until it didn’t. Tala did not want to be there when it didn’t, although she had been plenty of times with Glenn, a young guy who Tala quite enjoyed spending time with. Getting to close to the geeks, or making too much noise, sent them into a frenzy that quickly becomes difficult to get out of, especially in the city.   
‘Geeks all over the place! Tons of them, we’re surrounded,’ T-Dog rushed on as the frequency dipped out.  
‘T-Dog, repeat that last. Repeat,’ Dale said through the walkie-talkie. The only answer the group got was static.  
‘He said the department store,’ Lori said.   
‘I heard it too,’ Dale confirmed from the top of his RV.  
‘Shane,’ Lori pressed, but he had none of it.  
‘No way, we do not go after them, we do not risk the rest of the group. You know that,’ he said firmly.  
‘So we're just going to leave her there?’ Amy asked.   
‘Look Amy, I know that this is not easy -’   
‘She volunteered to go, to help the rest of us!’ She protested  
‘I know, but she knew the risks, right? See, if she's trapped, she's gone,’ Shane said curtly. Amy looked at him, the colour draining from her face. ‘So we just have to deal with that. There's nothing we can do.’   
‘She's my sister, you son of a bitch,’ She replied coldly, and stormed off. Shane looked towards Tala and she shrugged.  
‘You said it,’ She said, looking at Amy. Shane looked over to Lori and she nodded, staring at him with her lips pursed, before going after Amy. Tala went over to Shane’s side as he sighed.   
‘Come on, buddy. It's alright,’ She smiled gently at Carl, who was hiding behind Shane. ‘Why don't you show me what Shane was teaching you just now?’ Carl nodded and the three walked over to the rope Carl dropped.  
Soon Lori came back and started cutting Carl’s hair. Tala stayed, sitting next to Shane on the ground with her shotgun in her lap as she cleaned it.  
‘You know, the more you fidget the longer it takes, so don't, okay?’ Lori said as she adjusted the angle of her son's head.   
‘I'm trying!’ Carl said, and Tala flashed him a grin.   
‘Well, try harder,’ Lori said, returning Tala’s smile. Tala didn’t really like Lori. They had known each other since Tala had moved to America after meeting her husband in Britain. Tala had lived in the US for seven years, and still not managed to find anything the two had in common. They were both mothers? Well, not even that. The thought of Lori and Shane at the treeline popped into Tala’s mind again. She cleared her throat, looking away from Lori.  
‘You got this little man,’ Tala said, looking back to Carl.  
‘You think this is bad, wait till you start shaving,’ Shane chimed in. ‘Now, that stings. Day comes, you'll be wishing for one of your mom’s haircuts.’ He smirked, cleaning his shotgun too.  
‘I'll believe that when I see it,’ Carl replied and Shane and Tala laughed.   
‘Tell you what, you just get through this with some manly dignity and tomorrow I'll teach you something special!’ Shane wagered. ‘I will teach you to catch frogs,’  
‘I've caught a frog before,’ Carl pointed out.  
‘I said “frogs”, plural. It is an art, and not to be taken lightly. There are ways and means few people know about, and I'm willing to share my secrets.’ Shane said smugly.   
‘Oh, your secrets are incredibly interesting,’ Tala said quietly as she finished and Shane snorted lightly. Carl turned to look at his mum and she smiled, turning his head back around.   
‘Oh, I'm a girly girl, you talk to them,’ she said.  
Shane chuckled. ‘It's a one-time offer bud.’  
‘Why do we need frogs … plural?’ Carl asked.   
‘You ever eat a frog leg?’   
‘Ew!’  
‘No! Yum!’  
‘No, he's right, ew,’ Lori said.   
‘Yum, yum, yum!’ Tala said, and Lori rolled her eyes while Shane laughed loudly.  
‘When we get down to that last can of beans, you'll be loving those frog’s legs. I can see it now, “Shane, d-do you think I could have a second helping please? Please, just, just one?” Shane's voice went higher in imitation and Lori stared at him incredulously as Tala started laughing.   
‘Yeah, I don’t think so,’ Lori laughed.   
‘Do you like frog’s legs, Tala? Or do you like snails better?’ Carl asked and Tala smiled.   
‘I prefer snails,’ She grinned, licking her lips, and Shane clapped. ‘Put some delicious garlic butter on them both and you have yourself a gourmet meal from Paris itself.’  
‘Ah, that’s an even better idea!’ Shane laughed. ‘See Carl, don't listen to your mom. You and me, we'll be heroes. We feed these guys Cajun style Kermit legs.’  
‘I'd rather eat Miss Piggy,’ Lori muttered. Shane and Tala raised their eyebrows at her before she blushed. ‘Yes, that came out wrong.’  
‘Heroes, son! Spoken of in song and legend. You and me, Shane and Carl!’ Shane said. Tala looked up at him, the smile flickering slightly as a piercing car alarm echoed from the road that went down the mountain to the interstate.   
‘Hey Shane! You see what that is?’ One of the survivors asked. Before Shane and Tala ran over to see what the cause of all the noise was, she gently touched his arm.   
‘Your shirt’s messed up,’ Tala said, looking up at him and he blushed.  
‘Oh, shit,’ He said, hastily adjusting his buttons.  
‘Shane!’ Dale called out. Tala sighed and shrugged before they started running to the old man’s RV.  
‘Talk to me, Dale!’ Shane called as he ran.  
‘Can't tell yet,’ Dale said, peering through his binoculars.   
‘Is it them? Are they back?’ Amy asked.   
A red sports car came speeding up towards the quarry and everyone stopped to stare at it.  
‘I'll be damned,’ muttered Dale.  
‘What is it?’ Amy asked again.  
‘A car,’ Tala muttered, rolling her eyes and Shane nudged her, the corners of his mouth twitching.  
‘Stolen car’s my guess,’ Dale shouted.  
Glenn hopped out of the car, a huge grin on his face. Shane went over to the bonnet, and Dale shouted for Glenn to turn the alarm off.   
‘My sister! Where is she?’ Amy pressed.  
‘Glenn, can you pop the hood please?’ Shane asked.  
‘Andrea, is she safe?  
‘Pop the damn hood please. Pop the damn hood please!’ Shane slammed his fist against the car as Glenn got back in.   
‘Is she okay? Is she alright?’ Amy shouted.   
‘Yeah, yeah, she got out the city!’ Glenn replied. ‘She's okay! They’re all okay!’  
‘Why isn't she back? Why isn't she with you? Where is she?’ Amy pestered as Jim, a mechanic, yanked a cable to stop the alarm. ‘She's okay? You're sure?’  
‘Yes!’ Glenn said, exasperated. ‘Yeah, fine, everybody is … well, Merle not so much.’ Tala went over to him and gave him a hug, before scrunching up her nose and pulling back.   
‘Damn, pizza boy, what have you been eating?’ She joked, the smell of the dead clinging to him.   
‘Oh, well, that was to do with how we got out -’  
‘You crazy, driving this wailing bastard up here?’ Shane interrupted. ‘You tryna draw every walker for miles?’   
‘I think we're okay,’ Dale said, looking around.   
‘You call being stupid okay?’ Shane shot back. Tala put a hand on his arm and he glanced at her, relaxing only slightly. She turned back to Dale and nodded apologetically.  
‘Well, the alarm was echoing all over these hills, hard to pinpoint the source.’ Dale informed. Shane slammed the hood of the car down, glaring at the older man in his bucket hat. ‘I'm not arguing, I'm just saying. It wouldn't hurt you to think things through a little more carefully next time, would it?’ He said to Glenn.   
‘Sorry … Got a cool car,’ Glenn said. Tala laughed and Shane looked at her. She smiled at Glenn reassuringly.   
‘I think it’s cool,’ She said with a grin. ‘But we can’t be sure about the whole situation. We’ll have to see what happens.’  
A van pulled up to the camp and the rest of the group came out to reunite with their loved ones. The two sisters, Andrea and Amy ran towards each other and embraced, while everyone else laughed and hugged too, thankful to have made it back. Tala sighed and looked to Shane, who smiled at her sadly. Lori and Carl walked a little bit away as Lori tried to comfort Carl, who started crying. Shane looked out at them and Tala felt the irrational disappointment and loneliness pang at her chest again, the crush for her friend sinking like an anchor.   
‘How'd you get out anyway?’ Shane asked Morales, turning away from the sight of Lori.  
‘The new guy,’ He replied cheerfully, smiling at Tala and she raised her eyebrows.  
‘New guy?’ Shane said.  
‘He got us out,’ Glenn said from his car.   
‘Yeah, crazy guy just got into town,’ Morales informed them. ‘Hey, helicopter boy! Come say hello! The guy’s a cop, like you two,’ he nodded to Tala and Shane.   
Tala frowned, looking over to the van. Their faces went blank with shock when they saw their colleague step out from the cabin of the van. Shane grabbed Tala’s hand and she gasped.   
‘Rick?’ Tala exclaimed. Rick seemed as stunned as they were as he stopped short, catching his breath. Carl and Lori looked over before the family ran towards each other. From over Rick’s shoulder, Lori stared at Shane in disbelief, clutching her husband.   
Tala looked to Shane in shock and smiled shakily. ‘He’s alive? But, but how?’ She asked and Shane shook his head, at a loss for words  
‘I guess - I guess I just couldn’t hear his heart over all the noise. I …’ He stumbled, and Tala laughed.  
‘We got him back!’ She said happily.  
‘Yeah,’ Shane replied, and Tala glanced at him, noticing the look he was wearing. Was it disappointment? After biting her lip for a moment, she thought it better to leave it, and went to hug Rick once his family had finished their emotional embrace.  
‘It’s so good to see you, mate,’ She said, slinging an arm around her colleague’s neck.  
He laughed, hugging her back tightly. ‘I can’t believe you’re all here!’  
Lori came to clutch her husband’s hand tightly, Carl under her arm. She sniffed, smiling at Tala and she smiled back. Tala wondered whether the “thing” between her and Shane was going through her mind at all. Shane himself came over and the men hugged, Lori looking away from Shane for a moment.  
‘You said he was dead,’ She said quietly once the best friends had reunited. Shane looked distraught. ‘You came to our house and told me he was dead,’ Lori’s voice raised until she was shouting, tears pouring down her face. She let go of her family and walked towards Shane, closing the small distance between them. Tala stood in front of Shane protectively.  
‘How was he meant to know any better, Lori? He was saying what he thought was true,’ She said in forced calm. ‘When he came back for us, he told us that the power went out. So no heart monitors to help him out when finding a pulse, and don’t forget the amount of background noise there was. You know how much military force was there,’ Tala looked at the other woman steadily. ‘It’s not his fault. Just be thankful you got him back, right?’ She looked at Rick and smiled.   
‘Surely this calls for a celebration?’ He said, looking around the five people and smiling widely. Tala nodded in agreement.  
‘Sounds great! Do you mind if I actually finish off a conversation with Shane for the moment though? We won’t be long,’ She said politely, glancing at Lori hintingly.  
‘Oh! It’ll give me a chance to introduce you to everyone you haven’t met,’ She said after a moment of wiping her eyes, and Tala smiled, grateful for her for once. The family went away and Tala turned to Shane.  
‘Thanks, but I was handling it,’ He said sheepishly. Tala didn’t say anything, instead she just raised her eyebrows at him  
‘I’m guessing you’re not going to tell him about you and Lori,’ She said and Shane looked surprised.   
‘How did you know?’ He asked and Tala rolled her eyes.   
‘We’ve been friends for years. I know you, and I could just tell,’ She said, glancing at his chest. ‘Also, your shirt was a give away.’  
‘I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I was beginning to, to love her. I treated them as my own, you know?’ He said desperately.  
‘Yeah, I know,’ Tala sighed. _I was there,_ she thought to herself.   
‘Do you think I fucked things up?’ He asked, looking over as Lori kissed Rick. Tala looked at him and didn’t say anything for a while.  
‘I have no idea,’ She said gently with a small smile. ‘It’s not the first time either of us have. Maybe we can fuck things up together,’ Shane looked back at her and smiled slightly, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.  
‘What would I do without you and your wisdom?’ He joked and Tala punched his arm playfully.  
‘You know you love me.’.   
‘Yeah, yeah.’


	3. Friend

#  Three

##  **_F r i e n d_ **

_ /Frɛnd/ _

_ Noun -  _ _ a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations. _

✦

Dinner that night was of a different atmosphere than Tala was used to. Lori and Carl had never been happier at camp, and their moods were infectious. Apart from when it came to Shane. Of course, he was acting fine. He was acting great, in fact, sitting beside Tala, but telltale signs gave it away to her that he was doing exactly that - acting. His overly loud, overly big laughs and actions to mask his pain of getting ditched were pretty much see-through to Tala. She wanted to slap all thoughts of Lori out of his mind. She knew how manipulating Lori could be, how she could get people wrapped around her little finger as though she were just getting them to check that there wasn’t anything in her hair. Tala had seen it happen before. The same exact process was happening again.  
Shane had tried to sidle his way out of sitting with everyone else for dinner by trying to take the first watch. Rick and Tala collectively weren’t having any of it. How could he miss Rick’s first night back, of all things? That, and Tala wasn’t letting him pussy his way out of fucking the wrong woman.   
‘So anyway, Tala,’ Rick said, turning to her after describing how he had felt waking up in the hospital. ‘Have you been up to much whilst I was … away?’   
‘Oh, the same as everyone else. I managed to have a very relaxing spa day, I got the pool all to myself. Well, along with all the fish,’ Tala joked, not wanting to get too deep or personal with everybody else around. Rick laughed.   
‘How are your parents?’ He pushed on. Tala tensed slightly, and Shane glanced at Rick, giving him a tiny shake of the head. Rick looked back with a subtle frown.  
‘Dead,’ Tala said after a moment, remembering the last conversation she had had with her brother a few days after setting up camp. Rick cleared his throat before he opened his mouth again. Tala wished he would stop talking. Shane got up to deal with Ed  Peletier and his too-big fire and everyone went quiet for a moment.  
‘I’m sorry,’ He hesitated. His eyes traced the space next to Tala for a moment before he took a breath. ‘How did it start? For you?’   
‘How did it start for us?’ Tala mused, chewing on her lip thoughtfully. ‘Well, I suppose when the dispatch call came through.’ Shane sat next to her again and raised his eyebrows.   
‘You’re finally telling this story?’ He asked and Tala smiled sadly.  
‘Would you rather tell it?’ She asked and he shook his head, looking down towards his plate. Dale leaned forward and Lori frowned, staring intently at the two of them.   
‘You keep going,’ Shane said quietly. Tala sighed and ran a hand through her hair.  
‘It was a really quiet day. Shane and I were just back from our lunch break and sat near main street. We were trying to fix something when the radio came on and the call for all units came out. Some sort of assault at the gas station on thirty second street. We’re practically right there, we’re right around the corner, so we get there and I’m instantly calling for another two ambulances,’ Tala paused, the vision of the blood stained concrete coming back to her. She sighed and fiddled with her hands. ‘There’s a guy leant over a body. He’s doing something, we don’t know what. Shane called out to him and he turns and that’s when we knew something was incredibly wrong. You remember Clarks? And the really new guy, who started just before you went to hospital? Johnson?’ Tala asked Rick and he nodded, his arms around Lori and Carl.  
‘Clarks was the older guy, got transferred from Lincoln, right? And Johnson looked as if he had just come out of high school,’ Rick said and Tala nodded.  
‘Yeah. After the chase Johnson was kept off of violent calls just in case, you know? But he had just started coming out on more, Clarks taking him through the steps and stuff. They get out the car, guns raised. The ambulance is close and the suspect is coming towards us real quick, he’s got chunks of flesh missing. Blood is literally everywhere at this point. We’re trying to get him to stop coming but he just. Will not stop. Clarks has threatened to shoot and before any of us can do anything, the guy rips into Johnson’s throat. Clarks shot him in the leg, in the side. He didn’t drop,’ Tala looked down at the fire and sighed. She rubbed her face, trying to scrub away the image and Shane rubbed her back comfortingly. Everyone looked faintly horrified.  
‘The ambulances took the guy and Johnson away. We went back to the office and nobody said anything. Clarks was trying to get through to the hospital when someone said to put on the news, that it’s bad,’ Shane started, his voice quiet. ‘On every channel there’s something about the riots - LA, New York, Chicago - and then they started saying it was a national emergency, to stay in your homes. Don’t come into contact with these people, it’s highly contagious. You know the drill. There were no calls to the station, no sort of explanation. We were completely left in the dark by the big guys, until eventually the phone rang. The only thing that they said was ‘Aim for the head. That’s the only thing that stops them,’ but we already knew that and then the line cut off.’  
‘That’s how it started for us. In a horrid mess that happened too fast to comprehend,’ Tala’s eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. She scoffed and looked up to Rick. Everyone was silent and she started biting her thumb nail. ‘I’m sorry for bringing things down.’  
Rick shook his head, his eyes wide. ‘I asked,’ He said, seemingly shocked. ‘How long was it until the networks went down?’  
Shane adjusted his position slightly and exhaled. ‘Nation wide? I think about a week. We left three days after our first encounter, came up here. We waited for hours on the highway to get to the refugee camp. It was pretty obvious fairly soon into this thing that there wasn’t one. It looks like it was instantly over run.’  
Lori didn’t say anything and Dale sighed. Andrea and Amy sat in silence and Rick stared between Tala and Shane. ‘Is there any sort of military power left?’ He asked and Tala raised her eyebrows.  
‘You were in the middle of Atlanta, Rick,’ She said gently. ‘You really feel the need to ask that? I’ve been out there with Glenn - it’s pretty much a wasteland.’  
Glenn held his cap in his hands. ‘You were in the tank,’ He murmured. ‘I doubt it lasted the night.’   
Everyone went quiet and finished their dinners in silence. Tala blinked back tears and Shane put his hand on her back gently. Tala cleaned everyone’s plates up as people started making their way back to their tents. Shane helped her, kneeling beside her as he dried.  
‘Who’s tent are you sleeping in then?’ Tala finally said, hesitating slightly. She had noticed him visiting Lori and Carl’s tent in the middle of some nights. Shane looked away for a moment before answering.  
‘My own, as usual,’ He said.  
‘Yeah. Yeah I was just wondering,’ Tala replied coolly. He looked at her.  
‘Why, are you lonely?’ He said, his voice light. ‘Are you scared of being alone at night?’  
‘Of course not! How could I be afraid of dead people walking around, probably a shit ton of snakes, rats, possums, hell maybe even a coyote or bear too,’ Tala said, rolling her eyes. Shane laughed, smiling at her for a moment.  
‘Bears,’ He said quietly, the smile still playing on his face. ‘Well, if you wanted, I could bring my camp bed in to yours and, you know, be in there with you.’  
‘How sweet.’  
‘I meant it.’  
‘Aww, I think you’re the one who’s afraid.’  
‘How could you even think that?’ Shane laughed and Tala grinned.  
‘Well, sure, stay for tonight. It’ll be a nice change,’ She replied, still smiling as she finished the dishes. Shane nodded and put the cloth down.   
‘Okay, I’ll go get my camp bed.’ He said.  
Tala’s mind was racing. She felt like she was back in high school, getting talked to by the cute boy in her year. She blushed slightly, glad that Shane had started walking away.  
Tala went back to her tent and got changed before Shane came in. When Shane he did, he shoved his camp bed close to Tala’s, leaving a small gap between them. Tala Iay down, facing towards Shane’s bed as he put his clothes in the corner of the tent. After they had been in bed for a while, his hand gently took Tala’s in the gap between them. Tala smiled to herself as thunder started to growl outside again, holding it back. 

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

It was light again when Tala woke up, her fingers curled into Shane’s. She looked at him groggily, gathering her thoughts before she remembered that this wasn’t some weird dream. She wasn’t sure whether to keep lying there or get up. She wasn’t tired, but it was nice lying next to him. She decided to stay, at least until she heard others moving around. Lying her head back, she closed her eyes, listening to the birds chirping their pure, innocent songs. It was almost easy to forget the situation they were in.   
Pots and pans started clunking around as the other members of the group prepared for breakfast. Tala sighed, turning away from Shane and rubbing her eyes as she sat up. Shane groaned, opening his eyes blearily and looking up at Tala.  
‘G’morning,’ He said gruffly. Tala smiled, looking back at him as she stood up to get dressed.   
‘Good morning,’ She replied, pulling off her shirt. Shane rubbed his face, watching Tala with a smirk while she got dressed.  
‘Should I go?’ He said and Tala blushed lightly.  
‘I don’t mind. We’ve showered side by side at the station before,’ She said, laughing at the memory.  
‘True, true,’ Shane said, stretching before getting up himself. ‘Is anybody making breakfast?’  
A pan clattering far away answered his question and Tala raised her eyebrows, laughing.   
'I'll take that as a yes, then,' Shane said, laughing with her. Tala watched him as he got out of his sleeping bag, stretching and scratching his head gently. She almost sighed longingly, looking at the muscles rippling along his back. Jesus.  
Pulling up her jeans, Tala grabbed a hairbrush she brought and ran it through her hair quickly as Shane got dressed behind her. She didn't say anything else as she tied her shoelaces, tucking her hair behind her ears and sighing lightly.   
'Something wrong?' Shane asked, looking back at Tala while pulling his top over his head.   
'Huh? Oh, no,' She replied. 'Last night was nice. I've missed having company.'  
'It was, wasn't it? We should do it again sometime,' Shane agreed. 'Tonight, maybe?'  
'Sounds like a date,' Tala laughed, heading towards the tent flap.   
'That's settled, then,' Shane said with a wink, and they left the tent to join the others. Breakfast was quiet. Dale gave Tala a smile, which she returned happily. Dale was a nice guy. He came to the group after finding that the Atlanta refugee camp had failed.  
Tala ate her berries without talking much, Shane sat beside her while watching out for Lori. As she was finishing, Tala realised that Shane hadn't eaten anything and was still looking for Lori. She sighed, lightly placing her hand on his arm.  
'Shane, you need to eat something. Stop looking for her, she'll come out sooner or later,' Tala said gently and Shane looked down.  
'I'm sorry, I just ... Do you think she's avoiding me?' He said quietly.  
'I don't doubt that she has it in her,' She said. Shane sniffed and shoved some food into his mouth, not saying anything more until he was done.   
‘I’m going to go get some more water, you want to come with?’ He said, and Tala shook her head.  
‘Sounds fun but I’m going to stay here. Stay safe,’ She said with a small smile, picking up her shotgun.  
‘Always do,’ Shane said quietly, smiling too.  
Rick woke up a little after Shane had left. He smiled at Tala guiltily and she gave him a quick hug.  
‘I’m sorry about last night, really, it was nothing like a celebration,’ She said.  
‘Please, don’t worry about it, it’s my fault. Have I ruined this and put it on a bad foot?’  
‘Oh shush, we’ve been mates for years. You were right to ask,’  
‘I suppose so. Are you alright?’  
‘Yeah, I’m good. How did you sleep?’  
‘Best I have in ages.’ Rick grinned, and they split. Rick went over to his wife and Tala went over to Glenn, who looked round at her when she stopped by his side.  
‘Look at what they’re doing to her!’ He said painfully and Tala gave him a sympathetic smile.  
‘I’m sorry, she really was gorgeous. I’m sure we can find a better one soon.’  
‘I hope so. I wanted to drive her for at least a couple more days.’  
‘I already told you, Glenn, the generators need the fuel to give us electricity!’ Dale reminded him. He just shrugged, looking on at the death of his car.  
Shane came back with full water containers, and people went to take them out. He smirked and winked at Tala before nodding to Rick as he got out of his Jeep.  
‘You see anything?’ Tala asked as he slung his shotgun over his shoulders.  
‘Nah, not yet. I’m still holding my breath on being in the clear about these geeks,’ He said looking into the woods to their right. Tala sighed and nodded before screams could be heard. Tala’s head shot up, her body going cold. The cops, including Rick, instantly started running towards the commotion.  
‘Mom! Dad!’ Cried Carl, with Sophia shouting for her mother too.  
‘Carl? Baby!’ Lori answered, running alongside Rick to find her child. Tala sprinted through the bushes as Shane threw Rick a spear. They got through to the clearing where Jacqui, Carl and Sophia were walking. Carl threw himself against his mother and Sophia went to hers, scrabbling under the wire that was to try and stop the geeks from getting too close. The rest kept going a little further to find one eating the insides of a deer. Tala groaned, looking at Shane. He looked around, aiming down his gun, checking that the coast was clear other than the one right in front of them. The deer had two arrows sticking out of its rump, while blood gushed out of its throat.  
‘Fuck, Daryl must have been tracking this,’ Tala said. She could hear Shane sigh behind her. The walker turned to look at the group before Tala swung the end of her shotgun into its head. The rest followed suit with their assorted weapons, each bringing another sickening, crunching sound. After hitting it a few times, Dale swung down with his axe, cutting off its head cleanly. Tala nodded to him, wiping the sweat off her forehead.  
‘It’s the first one we’ve had up here,’ Dale said, gesturing to it vaguely. ‘They’ve never actually come this far up the mountain.’  
‘It’s probably because they’re running out of food in the city,’ Jim replied. Rustling in the woods put everyone on guard again, raising their weapons as whatever it was came closer. Daryl Dixon came out of the trees, carrying his crossbow.  
‘Son of a bitch!’ He said, seeing the deer. Shane sighed, lowering his gun and looking at Tala. Tala raised her eyebrows and didn’t say anything as her heart slowed to normal. ‘Aw, look at it. That’s my deer!’ He started kicking the headless walker, cursing at it before Dale said something.  
‘Look, calm down, that’s obviously not helping,’ Daryl looked up furiously and stormed over to him.  
‘Yeah? Well, what the fuck do you know about it?’ He said aggressively. Shane looked as though he was going to put his arm across Dale for protection but decided against it hastily as Daryl walked back to the deer. ‘Shit, I’ve been tracking this deer for miles!’  
‘I’m sure there aren’t many around,’ Tala said quietly and he glared at her.  
‘You don’t know shit.’ He said  
‘Seeing as I used to hunt, I know quite a bit,’ Tala replied shortly. ‘Stop shouting, you’ll attract more.’  
The redneck shrugged, yanking out his arrows from its body while muttering about dragging it back to camp and cooking the rest of its meat.  
‘I really wouldn’t risk that,’ Shane said with a concerned look on his face.  
‘Shame,’ Daryl sighed, standing back up. ‘Well, I got some squirrel, so that’ll have to do.’ He shrugged, looking back at the group.  
The walker bit its teeth together with a sickening squelching noise and Amy and Andrea groaned before walking away together. Daryl looked at them, shaking his head before shooting an arrow into its brain. As he walked away, Rick watched him with a guilty expression on his face, the thought of leaving Merle Dixon behind in Atlanta clearly haunting him.  
‘I wouldn’t worry about it, mate,’ Tala said, clapping him on the back lightly. ‘Merle Dixon, to put it lightly, is a cunt. He was going to get screwed somehow.’  
‘Yeah,’ Rick said gruffly as Daryl could be heard calling for his brother. Rick sighed and they walked back to the camp.  
‘Merle! Hey, Merle! Get your ass out here! I got some squirrel!’ Daryl called out, and Shane set his gun down in his car.  
‘Hey, uh, Daryl, how about you slow down a bit? I need to talk to you,’ He started. Daryl turned to him and Shane started to explain what happened to his brother in what Tala thought was the worst possible way. Rick chimed in and Daryl got aggressive again. Rick told him the truth bluntly, that they had left Merle on the roof of a building in Atlanta, and for a moment Tala thought Daryl was going to choke him to death. Daryl threw his squirrels at Rick before Shane tackled him to the ground. As they both rolled, Daryl pulled a knife out and Tala drew her gun on him. Daryl swung at Rick and Tala went in closer as Rick grabbed his arm and Shane pulled him into a headlock. Shane pushed him onto his knees and Tala stood with the gun still trained on his head. He eyed her angrily, panting hard.  
‘You better let me go!’ He threatened angrily to Shane, who almost laughed.  
‘Yeah, I think it’s better if I don’t,’ He replied and Rick crouched in front of him.  
‘Look, I wanna have a calm, rational discussion with you, do you think we can manage that?’ Rick asked. After Daryl didn’t say anything to him, he repeated his question. After still not getting a response, Rick looked to Shane and he let him go, but Tala didn’t lower her gun.  
As Rick started talking to Daryl about his brother again, T-Dog interrupted and told him that it was his fault for dropping the key down a drain. Daryl scoffed, crawling back up again.  
‘If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it really fucking don’t,’ He said. T-Dog continued to tell him how he chained the door locked. ‘Hell with all of y'all!’ Daryl shouted, wiping his face. ‘Tell me where the fuck he is so I can go get him.’  
‘He’ll show you, right?’ Lori said lowly, staring at Rick while leaning against the RV.  
‘What?’ Tala spluttered. ‘Are you serious?’  
Rick nodded, hesitating slightly. ‘I’m going back.’ Lori looked away and got into the shelter of the RV and Daryl went to go pick up his crossbow while Rick sighed and walks towards his tent. Tala stared at Shane, shocked at how quickly Rick was going to go back into Atlanta. She went to move but Shane shook his head and went after their colleague.   
Rick got changed into his uniform and the two had a low voiced conversation about Rick leaving before Rick started to walk away and Shane raised his voice. Tala watched them from where she was with Carol, helping her do laundry.  
‘Can you just tell me why you would go back for a dick like Merle Dixon?’ Daryl cried out at the insults used against his brother but Shane paid him no attention. Rick gave his arguments for going back to save him and Shane just glared for a minute or two before Lori spoke up. Tala walked over to Shane and he shook his head at her.   
‘So you and Daryl, that’s your big plan?’ Shane asked and Rick looked behind him at Glenn, who shook his head, groaning. Tala watched on with a small frown, wondering whether Merle would even be alive out there.  
‘You know the way, you’ve been there before, in and out, no problem, that’s what you said,’ Rick started as Glenn ran a hand through his hair. ‘Look, I know it’s not fair of me to ask but I’d feel a lot better with you along.’   
‘That’s just great, so we’re gonna risk three men? Really?’ Shane said, looking away and sighing.  
‘Potentially a woman?’ Rick turned to look at Tala and she scoffed.   
‘Forgive me if I seem selfish but that’s a hard no,’ She said coolly and Rick was about to argue before Shane stood forward.  
‘She’s not going, I need her here to help protect camp,’ He said firmly and Rick looked away. Tala raised her eyebrows as T-Dog watched on.  
‘Four,’ He volunteered himself and Daryl scoffed again.  
‘Wow, my day just keeps getting better and better, huh,’ He said, cleaning his arrows.  
‘You see anyone else volunteering to save your brother’s cracker ass?’ T-Dog asked lowly.  
‘Well, why you?’ Daryl countered and T-Dog didn’t answer. Dale looked between all the men and Tala put her gun between her shoulders, her wrists up against the barrel. She sighed, looking at Shane as he frowned deeply.  
‘That’s four,’ said Dale and Shane sighed irritably.  
‘It’s not just four!’ He snapped. ‘You’re putting every single one of us at risk! Just know that. Come on, you saw that geek! It was in camp! We need every able body we got if they’re coming out of the city!’  
‘Seems what you need here is more guns,’ Rick said. Glenn’s face dawned with realisation and he stepped forward.  
‘Oh right! Your guns,’ He said and Shane frowned further.  
‘What guns?’  
‘Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles and over a dozen handguns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I, uh, dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed and it is literally just sitting there on the street waiting to get picked up,’ Rick said and Tala gasped.  
‘Ammo?’ Shane asked.  
‘About seven hundred rounds, assorted.’  
Shane swore, and Lori looked worried sick already. Tala nodded, somewhat impressed, and Shane shot her a look.  
‘You went through hell and back to try and find us and you’re leaving for guns?’ Lori said and Carl shook his head.  
‘Dad, I don’t want you to go,’ He said quietly.  
‘To hell with the guns, Shane’s right, Merle Dixon? He’s not worth one of your lives, even with guns thrown in!’ Rick sighed, running his hands through his hair as Lori spoke and Tala clicked her tongue, watching Shane think. She knew he was thinking about that bag of guns, and she knew that he was slowly starting to think about letting them go. Rick and Lori continued the conversation and Rick talked about a man he met along the way. Tala turned to Shane as they talked, leaning against his Jeep and lowering her shotgun to her side.  
‘You’re thinking about it, huh,’ She said quietly and he nodded.  
‘I’m not gonna lie to you. Those guns sound good right about now,’ He looked around at her quickly, wiping the sweat off his forehead. ‘Don’t go with them.’  
‘I wasn’t planning on it. I’m not putting my ass on the line for Merle Dixon, even if we are getting the guns as well,’ Tala replied with a bitter smile. Shane sighed and looked up at Rick, who was crouching by Carl, persuading him.  
Although he still was not happy with the idea of Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and T-Dog leaving camp, Shane gave Rick the last of his bullets for Rick's revolver. ‘Four men, four rounds,’ Shane said. ‘Let's just hope that four's your lucky number.’

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

‘Do you think they’ll get Merle?’ Tala asked as Shane crouched in the water, Carl next to him.   
‘Hell, I don’t care either way. As long as they bring themselves back, that’s what’s important,’ Shane replied.  
‘I’m not getting anything,’ Carl said quietly and Shane looked back at him.  
‘Yeah, they’re all whiling, staying submerged,’ Shane said and Carl looked into the water as Tala watched them from her rock. ‘Little suckers, they know something’s up.’ Shane flipped his bucket and waded in further with a grin. ‘We just gotta do this the old-fashioned way. Alright little man look, you are the key in this alright?’ Carl nodded, watching Shane attentively. Tala pulled her feet up on the rocks, anticipating what was going to come next.  
‘All I’m gonna do is, I’m gonna go out and grab some water, alright? Scare the rest of them off, they’ll scatter and I’m gonna drive them your way. Okay?’ Shane instructed and Carl nodded with a grin.  
‘Alright!’ He said.  
‘What you need to do is round up every bad boy you see alright? You with me?’ Shane said.  
‘Yeah!’   
‘Hell's yeah!’  
‘Yeah!’  
‘Give me your mean face,’ Shane growled playfully and Carl mimicked him.  
‘Yes sir, you ready?’  
‘Yeah!’  
‘You ready? Here we go,’ Shane shook his arms slightly, looking up at Carl with a grin and ducked his bucket into the water. He made a fuss of pushing and splashing the water towards Carl.   
‘Alright little man get ‘em! Get right in there and get ‘em! That a boy! What you got bad boy, what you got, what you got?’  
‘Dirt,’ Carl said, disappointed. Shane shook his head.  
‘Guess we have to start over,’ He said, grinning again, his hair soaked. Tala laughed and jumped down off the rock.  
‘Maybe I should help with the directing,’ She said and Shane waded over.   
‘I think you should,’ He said with a nod. Tala had began rolling up her jeans when suddenly Shane pulled her right in. Tala yelped and fell with a splash. She looked up at Shane, waist deep in water and the two boys were laughing their heads off.  
‘Hey!’ Tala cried out and she heard some of the other women chuckle as they did laundry. She began laughing too, standing up and flicking the strands of wet hair out of her face. ‘Guess I don’t need to take that bath I’d been planning.’ Shane grinned at her wickedly and she shoved him. He tripped slightly but kept his footing. He looked up at her.  
‘Gonna take more than that,’ He said with another laugh and Tala whined.  
‘Well that’s not fair!’ She said and Shane just laughed. Tala stopped laughing when she noticed Lori, the smile fading slightly.   
‘Hey, Carl,’ She said, walking over with a stern look on her face. ‘What did I tell you about not leaving Dale’s sight?’  
‘But, Shane said we could catch frogs,’ Carl said and Shane looked up at her. Tala looked away and started squeezing the water out of her hair.  
‘It doesn’t matter what Shane says, it matters what I say. Go on, back to camp,’ Lori interrupted. ‘I’ll be right behind you,’ Carl sighed and walked away. Lori looked at Shane for a moment before turning and beginning to walk away.  
‘I gotta tell you, I do not think you should be taking this out on him,’ He said, his eyes following her.   
‘You don’t get to tell me what to do, you lost that privilege,’ Lori replied, still walking away. Tala looked at Shane and bit her lip, completely unsure of what to do.  
‘Hey Lori, could you just, just wait up a sec?’ Shane said as he started to walk after her. ‘I think we should talk. You know, we haven’t had a chance to-’  
‘No, no,’ Lori put her hands up and Tala felt increasingly uncomfortable. ‘That’s over too. You can tell that to the frogs.’  
Tala didn’t say anything as she picked up the buckets and started walking back after Carl quickly. She didn’t walk quickly enough, though, and she managed to still hear their conversation.  
‘Damn it, Lori, look, I don’t know how it appears to you -’  
‘How it appears to me? I’m sorry, is there a grey area here? Let me dispel it. You stay away from me, you stay away from my son. You don’t look at him, you don’t talk to him. From now on my family is off limits to you.’ Tala slowly trailed up the hill slightly, her gut twisting in figures of eight.  
‘Lori, I don’t think that’s fair,’ Shane said quietly. ‘I don’t think that I de-’  
‘Shane, shut up,’ She interrupted again and Tala glanced back. Lori pushed him hard, a look of contempt on her face. ‘Don’t. My husband is back. He is alive,’ She turned to walk away again.  
‘He’s my best friend,’ Shane said, even quieter than before. ‘I know you think that I’m not happy about that,’  
‘How dare you! Why would you be? You were the one who told me that he died,’ Lori spat, turning away again. ‘You son of a bitch.’ She walked away and Shane shook his head, running his hand through his hair. Lori stalked past Tala, giving her a shaky smile. Tala nodded back to her and Shane caught up with her.  
‘You okay?’ Tala asked quietly and he didn’t reply, staring after Lori and Carl. Tala looked away, over to the other’s doing laundry. Andrea was talking to Ed in what looked like a heated argument. ‘I wonder what they’re -’   
A slapping sound echoed throughout the quarry and Tala started running towards everyone, leaving the buckets behind. Andrea started hitting at Ed and Shane was right behind Tala. She grabbed the back of Ed and hauled him away from the group before Shane pinned him down and started punching him repeatedly. Tala hurried over to Carol and gave her a tight hug.   
‘Are you okay?’ Tala asked gently as the dull thudding noises came from behind her, her hand gently going to Carol’s inflamed cheek.  
‘I’m fine,’ Carol sobbed. ‘Just get him to stop!’  
Tala looked around to see Ed’s face covered in blood. The other women had started to tell Shane to stop, too. After Tala saw a tooth come out of Ed’s mouth, she went over to Shane and grabbed his arm.  
‘That’s enough, Shane,’ She said quietly, and when Shane looked at her, she stared him down. He stopped, panting hard.   
‘You put your hands on your wife, your little girl, or anybody else in this camp one more time, I will not stop next time. Do you hear me? Do you hear me? I'll beat you to death, Ed,’ He spat, kicking him in the side one last time.   
Tala shoved Shane towards the hill gently and as soon as he stepped away Carol rushed forwards, stroking her husband’s face and sobbing loudly. Tala looked back at the women sadly and Andrea nodded to her as she mouthed an apology. She took Shane back up to the main part of camp and neither of them said anything to each other until they sat down near their tents. Tala felt faintly sick, the thought that Carol had to put up with that everyday an uncomfortable truth that reminded her of her step father. She rubbed her forehead, looking at Shane’s bloodied and already bruising knuckles.  
‘I’ll be fine,’ He said gruffly, noticing her looks. He sighed. ‘Sorry you had to see that. And the others.’  
‘I’ve seen worse.’   
‘From me?’  
‘No,’ Tala said after a slight hesitation. ‘That doesn’t matter.’  
‘Really?’  
‘He deserved it. I stopped you because of how hard Carol was crying.’   
Shane just grunted, wiping his fist on his t-shirt and then frowning at how they looked without Ed’s blood.  
‘You want me to clean you up?’ Tala asked. ‘I have that first aid kit in my tent, from the office.’  
‘Sure,’ Shane shrugged. Getting up, Tala quickly went into her tent to pick out the kit. While she was in there, she sighed to herself, closing her eyes and wishing everything was different. How different her life could have been if she had admitted her feelings for Shane so much earlier. Walking back outside, Tala saw Shane rubbing his face and running his hands through his hair. She sat back down beside him, sighing gently.  
‘I’m sorry, about Lori,’ Tala said, bringing out a bottle of water and pulling his hands towards her.   
‘It’s my fault. She’s my best friend’s wife, I should never…’ He said.  
‘She is as much to blame as you are. Hell, maybe more,’ Tala replied coldly, concentrating on getting all of the grime out of his hands with a damp cloth. Shane looked at her and didn’t say anything as Tala patted his knuckles dry gently before putting on a dressing and wrapping a bandage around the top of his palm.   
‘Does this really need so much bandaging?’ Shane said, raising his eyebrows as Tala stuck some medical tape on it and smiled.  
‘I don’t want you getting all ill because you punched a dick. Sorry I’m not taking too many chances when it comes to wounds,’ She said and Shane rolled his eyes jokingly.   
‘Alright, alright. Shall we go on watch now?’


	4. Death

#  Four

##  **_D e a t h_ **

_ /Dɛθ/ _

_ Noun - the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism. _

✦

Tala flipped through an old book underneath Dale’s RV canopy as the heat swelled in the mid-afternoon sun. She had been with Carol before hand, talking through as much as she could about what had happened earlier. Carol had acted how Tala expected. Apologetic about making a fuss and insisting that nothing was wrong, her face bright red and her eyes reproachful. Tala couldn’t bear it, watching a woman so clearly full of potential cower in the shadow of a man that could have been helping her. Yawning, Tala looked up to see Shane walking towards her, a small smile on his face.   
‘How’d you manage to find the time to get that book, anyway?’ He said as he sat down on the steps beside her.   
‘It was already in my bag. If I had chosen what book I could have brought it probably wouldn’t have been this,’ Tala laughed, pushing away the thoughts of Ed Peletier as Shane chuckled.  
‘Why not?’ He asked and Tala smiled bitterly, looking at the cover.  
‘It’s about the apocalypse. Not really the best choice, right?’ Tala said and Shane snorted. They didn’t say anything for a moment.   
‘It’s strange, this life,’ Shane said quietly. Tala looked up at him and noticed that he was staring at Lori, who was sitting with Carol and sewing a piece of clothing. ‘It’s the first time I’ve got something to lose.’  
Tala didn’t say anything, still watching Shane’s face and trying not to feel disappointed. ‘That’s not true,’ She finally said quietly. Shane looked at her, eyebrows raised, before nodding his head.   
‘I suppose you’re right. You’re always right,’ He said, the small smile returned.   
‘Burden of being so perfect,’ Tala said slyly, fanning herself with the book and flicking her hair over her shoulder. Shane laughed and pushed her gently and Tala smirked.  
Andrea and Amy came back from the lake, two chains full of numerous fish that they had caught. Tala watched them, the smile playing on her face, as they showed the rest of the group. Lori veered away when Morales tried to shove them in her face and Tala almost laughed.   
‘Looks like we’re going to have the best dinner we’ve needed for a while,’ She said and Shane just grunted, his eyes tracing the other woman. Tala sighed and watched as Dale went over to the group.  
‘I, uh, don’t want to alarm anybody, but,’ He started and Shane stood up, flipping his cap in his hands. The two made their way over to Dale as he looked around at everybody nervously. ‘We may have a problem,’ He pointed to where Jim was furiously digging at something.   
Everyone made their way over to him and watched for a moment. Shane put his hands in his pockets and waited. Tala stood by Shane’s side, holding her hands behind her back with a concerned look on her face. When the group got no recognition, he spoke up.  
‘Hey, Jim?’ He said, watching the shovel stab into the ground. Jim didn’t reply, continuing his obsessive digging.  
‘Jim, will you talk to us?’ Tala asked gently. The mechanic looked up fleetingly without stopping. This was something Tala could put her years of police service to work on, something she knew they could most likely resolve. This wasn’t undead people trying to eat them, this was a real, human person that could talk and feel and think rationally. Compared to the geeks, this wasn’t difficult.  
‘Jim, why don’t you hold up, alright? Just give it a second please?’ Shane tried again.   
Jim stopped and sighed, looking at Shane. Sweat was pouring his blotched face as he panted hard. ‘What do you want?’  
‘We’re all just a little concerned man, that’s all,’ Shane started calmly.   
‘Dale says you’ve been out here for hours,’ Morales said and Jim almost seemed to glare at Dale.  
‘So?’ He leaned against the shovel slightly.  
‘So why are you digging?’ Shane asked before a small smile played on his face. ‘Are you heading to China?’ Tala looked at him as he chuckled slightly and shook her head. He cleared his throat as Jim started to dig again, the dirt crunching underneath the metal of the shovel.  
‘What does it matter? I’m not hurting anyone,’ Jim said with a shrug and Tala noticed that Shane was still fidgeting with his cap. She tilted her head slightly towards Jim and couldn’t help but wipe some of the sweat off of her forehead.  
‘Yeah, except maybe yourself! It’s a hundred degrees today,’ Chimed in Dale. ‘You can’t keep this up,’ he said with a hint of exasperation in his voice.  
‘Sure I can. Watch me,’ Jim countered and started digging, if possible, harder than before.   
‘You’re going to end up killing yourself. Stop for a moment for a break and -’ Tala argued, beginning to step forward before Lori interrupted her.  
‘Jim, they’re not gonna say it, so I will,’ She stepped up. Tala looked at the other woman, almost affronted by her audacity, but then she looked away and refrained from scoffing. She shouldn’t have expected anything else from her. ‘You’re scaring people. You’re scaring my son, and Carol’s daughter.’  
Jim stopped digging. He breathed heavily and looked at the group. ‘They ain’t got nothing to be scared of. I mean, what the hell people? I’m out here by myself, why don’t y’all just leave me the hell alone?’ He started digging again and Shane looked around slightly, his hands tight on his cap.   
‘We think that you need to take a break, now,’ He stressed, leaning forward slightly. ‘Okay? Why don’t you get yourself some shade, some food, maybe … I’ll tell you what, maybe in a little bit I’ll come out and I’ll help you myself.’ After getting no reply again, he stepped forward. ‘Jim? Just tell me what it’s about, just go ahead and give me that shovel.’ Jim stopped, glaring at Shane.  
‘Or what?’ Shane blinked, glancing at Tala in vague confusion and she didn’t say anything, watching Jim cautiously.  
‘There is no “or what”,’ Shane said.  
‘We’re asking you, that’s all, Jim. Please,’ Tala reinforced gently, refraining from taking a step closer like Shane had, not wanting to provoke him. All the pressure was building up to a snap that she wanted to keep as contained as possible.  
‘We don’t want to have to take it from you,’ Shane continued but Jim scoffed.  
‘And if I don’t? Then what? Then you gonna beat my face in like you did Ed Peletier, aren’t you?’ He said with a twisted smile. Shane looked down at his fists, faltering for a moment. ‘Y'all seen his face, huh? What’s left of it? See now, that’s what happens when someone crosses you,’ Jim spat and Shane shook his head.  
‘That was different, Jim,’ Tala could hear her best friend struggling to keep his voice from raising.  
‘We’re not going to hurt you,’ Tala said calmly. ‘Ed was acting unacceptably.’  
‘He was hurting his wife!’ Amy exclaimed.  
‘That is their marriage!’ Jim shouted and Tala refrained from showing her anger. ‘That is not his!’ Carol took Sophia into her arms behind Tala. She took another step forward with Shane as Jim continued to shout. ‘He is not judge and jury. Who voted you king boss, huh?!’   
‘Jim, I’m not here to argue with you, alright? Just give me the shovel,’ Shane started walking towards Jim to retrieve it but Tala held him back slightly, giving him a look that she knew he understood. Giver her one last shot at talking and then take the action. It’s how they always used to work at the station, Shane would lose patience and almost go in but Tala would try the rest of the tactics that might have been overlooked.  
‘Look, you’re right,’ She started gently, holding her hand out towards Jim. ‘You’re not hurting anyone and what you’re doing is important to you. We get that, Jim. All we’re asking is for you to just take a break, please? Just come get a sip of water and then me and Shane can help out too, get what you’re doing done a little faster. Does that sound okay?’’  
Jim hesitated, licking his lips slightly as Tala smiled gently. He looked down at the grave he was digging and he started handing over the shovel before his expression turned ugly and he gripped the shovel tightly and swiped it at Tala. She stepped back quickly, the sharp edge of the tool missing her by a very slight distance and Shane moved towards Jim quickly.  
Amy put her hand on Tala’s back for her balance and Tala nodded her thanks to her before helping Shane pin Jim down. Once Tala was sure Shane had his back pinned, she let Jim’s head go gently as he shouted and writhed.  
‘You’ve got no right! You’ve got no right!’ He practically screamed.  
‘Okay, Jim? Jim, just stop it, hey, hey hey hey hey, Jim? Jim? Nobody’s gonna hurt you, you hear me?’ Shane said loudly but calmly as Tala passed him a pair of handcuffs. Jim started crying slightly and Shane glanced up at Tala. She nodded reassuringly and he continued. ‘Shh, Jim. Nobody is gonna hurt you, okay?’   
‘That’s a lie. That’s the biggest lie there is,’ Jim said quietly as Shane cuffed him. ‘I told that to my wife. To my two boys. A hundred times. It didn’t matter. They came out of nowhere, there were dozens of them. Just pulled them right out of my hands … The only reason I got away was because the dead were too busy eating my family.’  
Tala heard some of the group members gasp quietly. She looked back and saw Lori putting her hands over her mouth. Tala looked back to her partner, who was slowly getting up, looking at all the empty graves. They helped Jim get up and the group dispersed slowly. Tala tied Jim to a tree not too far from the main areas of the camp while Shane fetched a bucket of water.   
‘I’m sorry I - I almost got you,’ Jim said quietly. Tala gave him a small smile and knelt beside him.   
‘You’re alright. You didn’t hurt anyone, I’m sorry we had to pin you down,’ She replied gently and he shook his head.  
‘You did what you had to, I get it,’ Shane came back with Dale trailing behind him and crouched next to Tala.   
‘Take some water?’ He asked and Jim nodded.  
‘Alright.’  
‘Yeah?’ Shane smiled. ‘Alright.’ He filled a cup and held it out for Jim to drink from. ‘Here you go, bud.’  
Tala watched as Jim looked towards Sophia and Carl before drinking almost the whole cup.   
‘Can you pour some on my head?’ He murmured and Shane nodded.  
‘Yeah,’ He poured. ‘Cool you down, huh?’ He smiled again.  
Jim just nodded. ‘How long are you gonna keep me like this?’ He asked them.  
‘Well, until we don’t think you’re going to be a danger to yourself,’ Tala answered, and Shane nodded again.  
‘Or to others,’ He added. Jim looked away, back to the children doing some schoolwork.  
‘I’m sorry if I scared your boy … your little girl,’ He said to Lori and Carol. Tala avoided Lori’s gaze, beginning to stand back up again.  
‘You had sunstroke, nobody’s blaming you,’ Lori said, going back to working with Carl. Tala tried not to roll her eyes at the woman’s expression as Jim continued and Lori looked put out.  
‘You’re not scared now, are you?’ He asked the kids. They both shook their heads.  
‘No sir,’ Sophia said, so softly you could barely hear her.  
‘Your mom is right, you know. Sun just cooked my head, is all,’ Dale leant forward, still looking concerned.  
‘Jim, do you know why you were digging?’ He asked.  
‘I had a reason. Don’t remember.’ The older man nodded, the concern not yet left his face. ‘Something I dreamt. Last night … your dad was in it,’ Jim directed to Carl, raising his voice so he could be heard. ‘You were too. You were worried about him … I … can’t remember the rest … You worried about your dad?’ He asked.  
‘They’re not back yet,’ Carl shrugged and Tala felt a pang of sympathy for the boy in her chest.  
‘We don’t need to talk about that,’ Lori interjected but Jim continued, much to the apparent dismay of Lori.  
‘Your dad’s a police officer, son. Like these two great people beside me. They help people. He probably just came across some folks needing help, that’s all. That man, he’s tough as nails. I don’t know him well, but, I can see it in him. Am I right?’ He asked to Tala and Shane. Tala smiled, nodding and Shane scoffed.  
‘Oh yeah,’ He said with the tiniest of smiles.   
‘Ain’t nothing gonna stop him from getting back to you and your momma. I promise you that,’ Jim reassured Carl and he smiled gratefully. Lori smiled too, but when Tala glanced at Shane she saw straight through to the disappointment.  
‘Alright, who wants to help me clean some fish, huh?’ He said brightly and Carl and Sophia followed him eagerly. Tala chuckled quietly and said goodbye to Jim. She noticed Lori talking to him when she left, but she didn’t have the energy to care.  
Watching the kids and Shane clean fish until they were ready to cook was an educational experience to say the least. Shane didn’t know how to do it quite as well as he had thought and Tala wanted to watch him figure it out for himself instead of teach him. She watched from the sidelines with Glenn, enjoying herself immensely before she eventually knelt down before the two kids and helped them clean their fish, teaching some of the others, including Shane, as she went. Once they were ready, Dale and Glenn started cooking them up over the fire and Shane and Tala went back down to Jim.  
‘Hey Jim, how’re you feeling, man?’ Shane asked.   
‘I’m better, if I’m honest,’ Jim said, nodding.  
‘I hope you understand the need for this, this time out. I mean, we got others we’ve got to think about and I just wanna make sure there are no hard feelings.’  
‘Oh, there’s not. I do understand.’  
‘Why don’t you join the rest of us for a big fish fry?’ Tala said brightly and Jim looked up, smiling.   
‘I’d like that very much.’   
Shane and Tala untied him from the tree and gently washed where the ropes had been with a quick splash of water before they went with him to the campfires where the fish were almost ready. As everyone tucked in, they all expressed their delight in having a proper meal again.   
‘Man oh man, that’s good. Whew,’ Shane said quietly next to Tala with a smile and Tala laughed.   
‘Considering you can’t clean a fish, this is actually edible,’ She said and Shane laughed too, a genuine laugh that made Tala feel warm inside. Glimpses of Shane from before the geeks peeked through every now and then and when he did, Tala thought that her world got brighter for that small moment. She smiled, looking over at him as he ate before going back to her own meal, trying to compartmentalise the memory to keep for all the bad days that were bound to happen.  
'I gotta ask you, man, it's been driving me crazy,' Morales started, looking to Dale and Tala looked around.  
'What?' Dale asked with a smile.  
'That watch.'  
'What's wrong with my watch?'  
'I see you every day, same time, winding that thing like a village priest saying mass.'  
'I've wondered this myself,' Jacqui added with a smile from across the campfire.  
'I'm missing the point here,' Dale mused.  
'Unless I've misread the signs, the world seems to have come to an end. At least, hit a speed bump for a good long while,' Jacqui started.  
'But there's you, everyday winding that stupid watch,' Finished Morales with a laugh.  
'Time, it's important to keep track, isn't it? The days, at least? Don't you think Andrea? Back me up here,' Dale asked, bemused. Andrea shrugged, looking around at everyone. Tala watched on, intrigued as Dale leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. He reminded her of her father. He had always valued seemingly trivial things about life. Tala was somewhat grateful that he hadn’t lived to see the world go to shit. He would have been distraught.  
'I like, I like what, um, what father said to son when he gave him a watch that had been handed down through generations,’ Dale started, looking around at everyone. ‘He said, I give you a mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs, no better than it did mine or my father's before me. I give it to you, not that you may remember time but that you may forget it for a moment, now and then, and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it. Huh?’ Everyone nodded and Tala smiled at Dale, thinking of her own broken watch stuffed in one of the extra pockets of her bag.   
'You are so weird,' Said Amy and everyone laughed.  
'Not me, Falconer. William Falconer. Maybe my bad paraphrasing,' Dale tried to explain and Amy got up. Tala finished her plate, setting it beside her as she enjoyed how content everyone was, the moral boosted from the decent meal.  
'Where are you going?’ Andrea asked quickly, her head snapping around to her little sister.  
‘I have to pee.' Amy replied quietly. 'Jeez, you try to be discreet around here.'  
Everyone laughed again and continued chatting quietly while they ate and Tala saw Shane watching Lori across the fire. She nudged him and he looked at her quickly.  
'Stop that,' Tala murmured quietly.  
'What?'  
'You know, pining over her. It was obvious,' She said, raising her eyebrows. Before Shane could answer, Amy let out a blood-curdling scream.  
Everyone turned to look, Shane and Tala standing up quickly, to see a geek had bitten her in the arm. Blood rushed out of the wound as another bit her in the neck. Tala grabbed her shotgun and Shane did the same, with Jim and Morales grabbing baseball bats. Everyone panicked and soon the air was full of gunshots and screams reverberating off each other. The recoil of Tala’s gun almost felt like home but, as a geek sprayed blood all over her while she shot, she was still in Georgia.  
Lori screamed at Shane from behind Tala and she heard Shane shout for everyone to gather towards the RV. Tala started moving, quickly clearing the path for everyone to get through. Andrea sobbed on the ground next to Amy.  
'Oh god. Oh no, no, no. I don't know what to do,' She cried to her sister, who was getting paler by the minute. Tala swung around as she heard Shane shout again.   
'Stay close, stay close, c'mon ya'll,' He called out.  
'Get to the RV,' Morales reinforced. Tala shot a walker that was sinking its teeth into another survivor. She turned her gun to the next thing she saw move only to realise it was Rick and Daryl, with T-Dog and Glenn behind them, back from their city trip.  
'Welcome back!' She shouted to Rick as she shot a walker to the side of her. He nodded in greeting and Shane managed to get by Tala’s side. Suddenly the last gunshot rang through the air and Tala lowered her gun, panting. She turned to Shane, realising they were both covered in blood.  
'Are you okay? That's not your blood, right?' Tala asked quickly.  
'I'm good. You?' Shane nodded, pointing to her cheek.  
'Yeah, none is mine,' Tala wiped her cheek with her sleeve to find it had a piece of flesh stuck to it. Tala gagged, bile rising into her throat and Shane shook his head before pulling her into a tight hug. Neither of them say anything for a moment until Rick spoke.  
'Baby! Carl!' He called and Carl sprinted towards Rick, sobbing. Lori followed behind her son and the family embraced lovingly again. Everyone slowly looked around at the carnage, and Tala saw Glenn hyperventilating. She went over to him and hugged him, too, and he slowly regained control of his breathing.  
'Are you okay, pizza boy?' Tala asked gently and he looked around shakily.   
'I didn't expect to come back to this,' He said quietly. Tala didn't say anything, just nodded as her eyes found Andrea. She leant over her sister, who was also struggling to breathe.  
'Oh, Amy. I don't know what to do.' She said quietly. Amy reached out to touch Andrea's cheek and Tala almost looked away. She should have, as Amy sobbed her last breath before closing her eyes.  
Andrea took a moment to realise what had happened before she began crying harder.  
'Oh, oh.... oh ... oh .... my baby,' She cried, her voice cracking with each word. She started sobbing, screaming 'Amy,' and Tala looked away. She felt more bile rise into her throat and she turned away from Glenn before spitting out the acid.   
Jim looked around. 'I remember my dream now. Why I dug the holes,' He said. Tala went back to Shane and sat down, shaking and exhausted.  
'What are we going to do?' She asked. Shane didn’t say anything. He just sat down next to her and held their shaking hands together.


	5. Indecision

#  Five

##  **_I n d e c i s i o n_ **

_ /ɪndɪˈsɪʒ(ə)n/ _

_ Noun - the inability to make a decision quickly. _

✦

Shane and Tala sat by the fire for what felt like hours. Tala’s hands wouldn’t stop moving. Shane took hold of one again and Tala sighed, adrenaline coursing through her hours after the last geek had been put down. None of them had slept at all, apart from the children, but Tala didn’t feel tired. She was on edge, and every noise made her jump. She looked down at Shane’s hand holding her's and shook her head.  
‘I’m sorry,’ She said, biting her lip. ‘I’m, just, I’m nervous.’  
‘I don’t have a problem with it,’ Shane replied quietly, staring at the charred wood in the pit. ‘I just wanted to hold your hand.’  
Tala didn’t reply and lay her head on his shoulder. They watched Lori approach Andrea. She talked quietly, but soon she stopped and came back over to the fire. Rick came over too, leaving Daryl to crack through walker heads, using a pickaxe, and Morales, T-Dog and Glenn to haul dead bodies onto a separate fire.  
‘She still won’t move?’ Rick asked and Dale nodded.  
‘Won’t even talk to us,’ Lori said quietly. ‘She’s been there all night. What do we do?’  
‘We can’t just leave Amy like that. We need to deal with it, same as the others,’ said Shane and Tala sighed. She looked over at Andrea, leant over her sister’s body and almost felt like she could relate to her. A lump rose to her throat as she remembered how she leaned over her daughters like that.  
‘I’ll tell her how it is,’ Rick said.   
‘Hey, no, I wouldn’t do that -’ Tala started but Rick had already walked over to the grieving woman. Andrea pulled her gun on Rick as soon as he started to crouch down and Tala scoffed slightly. Shane looked at her and raised his eyebrows.  
‘I did warn him,’ She said quietly and he sighed lightly.  
Andrea could be heard threatening Rick. ‘I know how the safety works,’ she said lowly. Rick put his hands up and started backing away.  
‘Alright, okay, I’m sorry,’ He said gently. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’ He came back to the others and Tala raised her eyebrows.  
‘Didn't I say?’ She said, trying not to sound too patronising. Rick sighed, and Daryl stormed over.  
‘Y’all can’t be serious?’ He said. ‘The dead girl’s a time bomb!’   
‘What do you suggest?’ Rick shot back and Daryl turned to him.  
‘Take the shot, clean in the brain, from here,’ He said matter-of-factly. ‘Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance.’ Tala didn’t even bother to comment, raising her eyebrows up at the redneck.   
‘No,’ Lori said sternly, rubbing her forehead. ‘God sakes, let her be.’  
Shane raised his eyebrows at Rick. He shook his head and Daryl scoffed. Daryl went away to Morales and dragged one of the dead group members towards the burning pile of bodies. Glenn stopped and stared.  
‘What are you guys doing?’ He asked loudly. ‘This is for geeks, our people go over there!’  
‘He’s dead, what’s the problem?’ Daryl said, continuing to drag the body over.  
‘Our people go in that row over there. We don’t burn them!’ Glenn shouted, his voice cracking. He looked as though he was about to cry. Tala watched on, concerned, ready to jump in if Daryl got aggressive again. ‘We bury them, do you understand? Our people go in that row over there.’  
Daryl glared at Glenn before dragging the group member to the others. ‘Reap what you sow,’ He spat and Morales stood up straight.   
‘Yo, shut up man!’ He shouted back. Tala stood up and walked over to Glenn.   
‘Daryl, that’s not okay,’ She said lowly and Daryl spat at the three of them.  
‘Y’all left my brother for dead!’ Daryl cried. ‘You had this coming!’ He barged past Jim and Tala turned to Glenn. She opened her mouth but he shook his head and walked away. Tala sat back down next to Shane and leant her head in her hand. She stared at the flames and her eyes fluttered from exhaustion, her body at war against herself as the lack of sleep started to catch up with her quickly.   
‘What are we going to do next?’ She murmured quietly and Shane took her hand again. He didn’t say anything, only squeezed her hand gently. Tala closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, sighing as she leaned back onto Shane’s shoulder. A few moments of nothing went by that were bliss. She didn’t think, she didn’t get any flashbacks of the night’s events, it was just darkness.   
‘A walker got him! A walker bit Jim!’ Jacqui shouted and Tala’s eyes flew open as everyone gathered around him. Shane, Rick and Tala kept people behind them subtly, their eyes on Jim  
‘Oh god,’ Jim panted, looking around, panicking.  
‘Show it! Show it to us!’ Daryl called out as everyone around muttered. Jim picked up his shovel and Tala cursed in her mind.   
‘Everyone calm down,’ Tala said. ‘It’s okay, Jim, let’s not do this again.’  
‘Back up,’ Shane warned the others. ‘Hey, hey, hey, easy Jim. Jim, put that down right now, get it on the ground.’ He held his arms out, moving in front of Tala slightly and she watched Daryl and T-Dog move behind him. T-Dog grabbed Jim’s arms from behind and Daryl pulled up his top to show a bite mark on Jim’s side.   
‘Oh,’ Was all Tala could say and everyone looked at each other. Shane glanced at her and Tala looked at him sadly, unsure of what to do.  
‘I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay,’ Jim repeated, and T-Dog let him go. Tala took him over to an upturned bucket at the end of Dale’s RV.  
‘You want me to stay here with you?’ She asked gently, giving him a reassuring smile.  
Jim wiped the sweat from his forehead and shook his head slightly, ‘Nah, go on with the others. Can you leave me some water, though?’ He asked. Tala handed him her flask and he drunk thirstily before Tala walked over to the rest of the group. They were circled in discussion and she walked over right in time to hear Daryl’s opinion. Tala stood by Shane and he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.   
‘I say we put a pickaxe in his head, end it. Dead. Be done with it,’ The redneck stated and people shook their heads.  
‘How humane,’ Tala muttered and Daryl glared at her. His impulsiveness was quickly getting on Tala’s already frayed nerves, and it was taking a lot for her to stay civil with him.   
‘That’s what you want. For you?’ Shane replied curtly, taking his hand back.  
‘Yeah, and I’d thank you while you did it.’  
‘I hate to say it, I never thought I would, but maybe Daryl’s right,’ Dale chimed in and he glanced around nervously. He caught Tala’s eye and she mouthed ‘Why?’  
‘Jim’s not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog,’ Rick spat and Dale looked away, upset.  
‘I’m not suggesting it!’ He protested.  
‘He is a sick, sick man!’ Rick raised his voice and Shane raised his hands slightly.  
‘Hey,’ He warned as Lori shushed her husband.  
‘We go down that road,’ Rick continued. ‘What do we do on the line?’  
‘The line’s pretty clear,’ Daryl replied. ‘Zero tolerance for walkers or the bitten.’  
‘What if we can get him help? I heard the CDC was working on a cure,’ Rick said desperately and Shane shook his head.  
‘I heard that too. Head a lot of things before the world went to hell,’ He said and Rick looked up at his old partner.  
‘What if the CDC is still up and running?’  
Tala shook her head and Shane sucked the air between his teeth. ‘That is a stretch right there.’   
‘Why?’ Rick said hurriedly. ‘If there’s any government left, any structure at all they would protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn’t they? I think it’s our best shot. Shelter, protection, rescue.’  
‘Okay, Okay,’ Shane acknowledged and Tala sighed, looking down at a lizard that flicked past her shoe. ‘Rick, I know you want those things, okay? I do too. Now if they exist, they’re at the army base. Fort Benning.’ Shane continued confidently.  
‘That’s a hundred miles in the opposite direction,’ Said Lori incredulously.  
‘That is right, but it’s away from the hot zone,’ He argued back, running his hand through his hair roughly. ‘Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it’ll be heavily armed. We’d be safe there.’  
‘The military were on the front lines of this thing, they got overrun. We’ve seen all that,’ Protested Rick. ‘The CDC is the best choice and Jim’s only chance.’  
‘Hey, hold on,’ Tala interrupted. ‘You just said that the government would try to protect the CDC at all costs. How will they do that if they don’t have an army, Rick?.’   
Shane nodded and Tala heard a couple of people agree with her. Before Rick could answer, Daryl fidgeted with his pickaxe.  
‘You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do,’ He said, swinging himself around. ‘Somebody needs to have some balls and take care of the issue!’ He ran towards Jim with his pick raised and everyone moved. Rick went to stop him but Tala got there first. She drew her pistol and Shane shouted.  
‘Hey, hey, hey!’ She heard him say and Daryl glared at her. Anger coursed through her as she glared coldly back at him, her aim unwavering. She wasn’t going to shoot him, but he didn’t need to know that.   
‘We don’t kill the living,’ Rick said darkly. Tala didn’t even speak, her heart in her throat. She gestured to the pickaxe with the pistol and Daryl lowered it as Shane stood in front of Jim.  
‘That’s funny, coming from a man who’s letting a gun point at my head,’ Daryl retorted.  
‘We may disagree on some things, not on this,’ Shane said. ‘You put it down, go on,’ He gestured to the pickaxe too and Daryl shoved it into the ground roughly.  
‘Come with me,’ Rick said to Jim, bending down to help him up.  
‘Where are you taking me?’  
‘Somewhere safe.’  
Tala glared at Daryl for a moment before he walked away. She scoffed, making her way back to her tent and Shane followed her. She sat down on her bed, putting her face in her hands as he zipped up the tent.  
‘What’s wrong?’ He asked gently, wrapping his arm around Tala’s shoulder, concern in his voice.  
‘I needed … I needed to get away from the rest of them. A break,’ She replied quietly, leaning into his body. He didn’t say anything and kisses the top of her head. ‘It’s a lot, right? And, seeing Andrea like that just …. Reminds me.’  
‘Oh, Tala, I’m sorry,’ Shane squeezes her gently. Tala didn’t say anything for awhile.   
‘I failed them,’ Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. Shane looked at her but she stared at the shadow of a fly outside. His eyes rake over her for a second.  
‘What do you mean?’ He said gently, taking her hands that were shaking non-stop. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.   
‘I should have been there, with them. I should never have left to do that call,’ Tala choked and Shane hugged her tightly.  
‘You had a job to do,’ He murmured into her shoulder and Tala broke away from him, shaking her head.  
‘My first job was them. It was always them. Once they were born, they would always be the priority,’ She sighed, wiping her face. ‘I don’t think you’d be able to truly understand until you have children of your own to care for.’ Shane’s face fell and he looked upset.  
‘I cared for Lori and Carl -’  
‘I know you did. But I just meant, when you spend 9 months with two literal people inside you, it’s … it’s a lot,’ Tala interrupted gently and Shane went quiet. Tala smiled shakily.  
‘When I found out my birth control failed I was so angry. I couldn’t believe it. I stared at that fucking stick for what felt like hours. Mark came in and saw and he was … He was ecstatic. He looked so, so happy,’ She said quietly, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. Shane watched her, his hands gripping Tala’s tightly. ‘I wanted an abortion. Did I ever tell you that?’   
His eyes went wide. ‘No, you kept that quiet.’  
Tala nodded, sighing at the memory. ‘Yeah. I wanted to focus on my career before having kids. Mark knew that but … When he found out he just, I don’t know. I guess he forgot,’ She said with a small smile. ‘He convinced me to keep them until we could have an ultrasound. He said, he said that if I hadn’t changed my mind after the ultrasound I could do what I want. That was probably the best thing he ever did in his lifetime.’  
‘You really would have?’ Shane said quietly and Tala looked to him, tears still coming. She nodded and took a breath.  
‘We went to the first scan and the midwife listened for the heartbeats,’ She explained. ‘Once she’d found them she played it to us. I heard it and I started crying. It became real, at that moment. Something - no, someone, was inside me. I had created that, you know?’ Tala smiled bitterly. ‘Then at the twelve-week scan, the midwife said there were two babies and Mark and I just looked at each other. I saw the picture of my two girls and I was just, I was set.’   
‘I remember you showing me,’ Shane said, smiling. ‘You were so proud. You came into the office waving it in the air. “Look at this, I’m having fucking twins!”’ He paused for a moment, looking at Tala. ‘You feel guilty?’   
Tala looked down and bit her lip, choking back a sob and nodding. ‘Giving birth almost killed me. I begged Mark, even on the drugs, to make it stop but somehow I made it,’ She paused and looked back around with a small smile. ‘You were the first one outside of the family to see them. Did you know that? The day after they were born you were the first one there.’   
‘Really? Not even Rick?’   
‘Not even Rick.’  
Shane smiled before pulling Tala into another hug. ‘You were the best mother, you did everything you could,’ He whispered and she nodded, sobbing quietly, the grief engulfing her again before they heard a gunshot. They got up and Tala wiped her face. They ran to Rick and he turned to them, shaking his head.  
‘It’s okay, look,’ He said quietly, pointing to Andrea. She was still leant over Amy, but her gun was on the ground beside her.  
‘She did it?’ Tala asked and Lori nodded, wiping away tears of her own. Tala sighed, looking back at the sisters and ran her hands over her face and through her hair, sniffing slightly.   
‘Shane, got a job to do. Would you come and help?’ Rick asked and the two men went to the field where Jim had been digging graves. Tala looked after them and Lori noticed.  
‘They’re digging … more,’ She answered. ‘We’ll be holding the funerals soon.’   
‘Oh, of course,’ Tala said quietly and Lori nodded sadly. Tala followed where the men had gone as Daryl, Glenn and T-Dog filled the back of a truck with bodies covered in cloth. As Tala heard the sound of metal on the dirt, she also heard the two friends argue.  
‘Say it,’ Rick said, and the digging stopped.  
‘Okay, I’m thinking if you just stayed here, if you’d looked after your own, instead you went off, you took half our manpower with you. I’m thinking maybe our losses wouldn’t have been so bad, okay?’ Shane said.  
‘If we hadn't gone off and brought those guns back when we did, I think our loses would’ve been much worse, maybe the entire camp,’ Rick said sourly and Tala saw Shane shake his head and spit. He saw her and she put her hand up in a hesitant wave. Rick looked back and sighed.  
Tala picked up a spare shovel that was lying on the ground and started digging to the side of Shane. ‘You’re never going to get this done if you just stand around chatting,’ She said without looking up and the two started digging again.   
Daryl reversed the truck into the field after the three had been digging for about twenty minutes. Tala put down her shovel as he jumped out.  
‘I still think it’s a mistake, not burning these bodies. It’s what we said we'd do, right? Burn them all, ain’t that the idea?' He said loudly. Tala bit her tongue as Shane looked annoyed.  
‘At first,’ Rick said hesitantly.  
‘But Chowman gets all emotional, says it’s not the thing to do, we just follow all along. These people need to know who the hell’s in charge here, what the rules are,’ Daryl continued rambling. Shane and Rick looked uncomfortable and Tala glared at him.  
‘Right here, right now? I’m in charge,’ She said quietly. ‘The new rules are for you to shut the fuck up.’  
Daryl moved forwards towards her and Tala stood her ground, but Shane pulled her back and Rick shook his head.  
‘There are no rules here,’ He said quickly and Tala turned away angrily, Shane holding onto her hand. She looked at him and he nodded slightly, squeezing her hand gently as Lori came from around the truck.  
‘That’s a problem,’ She stated and they all looked at her. 'We haven’t had one minute to hang onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and to bury our dead. It’s what people do.' She looked around as the rest of the group arrived slowly.  
They all gathered around for each funeral. Tala didn’t know if it would really be called a funeral, nobody actually said much. It was mostly just burials. Family members dragged their loved ones into a hole and the rest of the group watched. A moment of silence was held before they moved on to the next person. They had had a couple of fatalities before this, of course, but it had been people that had already been bitten when they arrived. So many deaths in such a short time was completely new, uncharted territories that Tala wished they could run straight back out from. Andrea dragged her sister into a grave. Dale stood by anxiously, trying to help.  
'I can do it, I can do it,’ She groaned as he stepped towards her. ‘I can do it!' She cried as she pulled her sister in, laying her head down gently. Dale gave her a hand out and they stepped back, Lori and Carl crying quietly. Tala stared down at the body as the group left before she started to fill in the graves with Shane. After they had been working in silence for a while, he spoke.  
‘We need to go to Fort Benning’ He said quietly.  
‘Well, Rick does have a point with the military power being exhausted,’ Tala replied slightly absently and he stopped digging, staring at her. She looked up when she realised and frowned. ‘I only meant that the army isn’t going to be very strong and that goes for the protection of the CDC, too.’   
‘Then where do you think we should go?’ He said coldly and Tala looked at him, rolling her eyes.  
‘Don’t be so childish. I’m disagreeing with you both, so what?’ She said coldly as he leaned on his shovel, too tired to deal with this argument.  
‘Answer my question, then.’  
‘I don’t know where we should go. I still think it’s a possibility to stay here, fortify the place. There are different options but I’m not the one to say which one is the best. I’m far too tired and I’m in far too bad a mood,’ Tala said, looking up at him. ‘There are good and bad arguments to all of them.’  
Shane started digging again. ‘So you mean, we could stay here or go to Fort Benning, or go to the CDC?’   
‘Yeah, sure. Maybe finding some sort of place out in the countryside would be good, but it’s probably rare. I don’t know,’ Tala sighed.  
‘We’ll have to see what happens,’ He said quietly. 

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Tala looked down at the homemade maths worksheet that Lori wanted her to go over with Carl and squinted before looking back up at the boy with a quizzical look on her face. He waited patiently. Tala looked back down one more time before she cleared her throat and sat up a bit straighter.  
‘What grade are you in again?’ She asked and Carl smiled.  
‘6th,’ He said proudly and Tala nodded her head with a small smile of her own.  
‘Wow, you sure do learn a lot in 6th grade. I swear I didn’t learn this until I was a couple of years older than you but, hey. You Americans must be good at maths, huh?’ Carl grinned.  
‘You say it funny,’ He said with a small laugh and Tala frowned.  
‘Maths?’  
‘You don’t say the “s”,’ He said and Tala gasped comically.  
‘Of course you say the “s”!’ She said and Carl shook his head.  
‘No! You just say “math”!’ He laughed. Tala scoffed, shaking her head back before picking up a pen and adding an s to all of the mentions of “math” on the sheet. Carl took his own pen and scribbled it back out again. They both laughed loudly but Tala slowly stopped as she saw Shane approach Lori outside of Dale’s RV. She watched for a moment as Lori stood up to walk away. Shane said something and she stayed. Tala sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. She turned back to what she was doing to find Carl watching the pair, too.  
‘Did my mom and Shane have a fight?’ He asked quietly, a sad look in his eye.  
Tala hesitated, glancing back at the RV before giving Carl a small smile. ‘They had a bit of an argument, yeah. But Shane is trying to fix it,’ She said gently. The young boy nodded.  
‘Good. I like Shane a lot. I guess he’s like an uncle to me.’  
‘I’m the fun aunt, right?’ Tala shot him a grin and Carl smiled back.  
‘Uh, duh, you’re my favourite aunt,’ He said excitedly and Tala ruffled his hair.  
‘Who needs maths? Let’s go annoy people,’ She said, folding up the piece of paper and shoving it in her pocket. Carl walked over with her to the RV, where they began to hear what Shane and Lori were talking about.  
'Folks around here can make up their minds without bringing my marriage into it. That’s a habit you need to break,’ Lori said in a cold voice and Tala began to doubt whether she should have come over.  
‘I guess that just adds to the list of habits I’m breaking, whether I like it or not,' Shane replied and Rick came out. The tension was far too palpable for Tala’s liking and she glanced at Carl but he just looked confused.  
‘What habits?’ His father asked, looking between Shane and Lori and Shane stood there for a moment before he found his voice.  
‘Just talking about my need for a plan, man, so what is it, we leaving or not? Maybe y’all just wanna stay here, we could hang up some more tin cans,' He said sarcastically. Tala stepped forward and pushed Carl towards his mum. Lori put her arm around him and gave Tala a small, pressed smile.  
'We can’t stay here, we both know that,' Rick dismissed him and Tala shook her head.  
‘Staying here is a possibility, whether or not you two recognise it as such,’ She said and the men looked at her as she raised her eyebrows. ‘We’d need more than just tin cans but fortifying this place is an option.’  
'I was just telling Shane that maybe we should just trust your gut,' Lori said unhelpfully and Rick looked slightly smug.   
'Let’s go do our sweep,’ Shane said, irked and Rick nodded. The family of three walked away and Shane started to do so but Tala held him back.  
‘Why are you still bothering?’ She asked quietly and he looked away, running his hand through his hair.   
‘Fort Benning is the way to go,’ He said exasperatedly and Tala shook her head.  
‘No, not that. Why are you still bothering with her?’ She looked up at him with her eyebrows raised and he didn’t say anything for a moment.  
‘I thought she loved me, needed me,’ He murmured, a twisted look on his face. Tala didn’t reply and he laughed bitterly. ‘You’re right, why am I still bothering with her?’   
Tala hesitated for a moment as Shane handed her her shotgun. ‘I need you.’  
Shane looked at her for a moment before adjusting his cap and nodding. They went over to Rick in silence before they walked into the forest, Rick and Shane in front with Dale and Tala bringing up the rear. Tala kept thinking about how Shane just nodded. He didn’t say anything. Was it too much?   
‘How long did you say you’ve lived here?’ Dale asked after a few minutes of walking.  
‘About seven years, give or take. Moved here back when I was about twenty, never managed to escape,’ Tala joked and Dale smiled.  
‘It’s the accent, huh?’  
‘Heaven’s to Betsy, you hush your mouth!’ Tala put on her best southern accent and Dale chuckled.  
‘You sound like my late wife,’ He said with another big smile. Tala looked around for walkers, smiling.   
‘And my mother-in-law,’ She said and the smile dropped slowly as she remembered the all the Thanksgiving dinners with traditions that Tala never understood and could never quite remember. Mark’s mother had always been the one to carve the turkey if she had been present and would get incredibly upset if they didn’t make a Thanksgiving prayer, despite the fact that she had never went to church in all of her life and didn’t really follow any sort of religion. But she was a good woman, and she never failed to bring new clothes for the girls or offer to babysit whenever the opportunity arose. Rick and Shane walked on ahead and Dale lagged behind while Tala kept going, scanning around the forest slowly as the men ahead started slowing slightly.  
'Tell you what man, these people man, they’re not convinced. You head to the CDC, you might be on your own. You gotta really consider what you want to put Lori, Carl into, what kind of spot,’ Tala heard Shane say and she sighed irritably. Couldn’t he just drop it with Lori?  
'I gotta do what’s best for my family,' Rick replied somewhat cautiously.   
'Best for your family? What’s that, expose them to all kinds of risk?' Shane shot back and Tala fell into step beside him.   
Rick gave her a nod as he replied. 'As opposed to what? Crossing a hundred miles of hostile territory? We’re looking for a lifeline, I say swim towards the closest ship, not further out to sea. Why can’t you just back me up? Tala, what do you think?'  
Tala shrugged slightly, eyeing Shane subtly. ‘There are pros and cons with every option, I suppose.’   
'Look I want to, it’s just, I don’t see it,' Shane said with a seemingly catty tone and Tala just looked out into the forest, scanning over the foliage with her gun.  
'Well, if it was your family you’d feel differently,' Rick replied somewhat absently.  
Shane stopped and Rick continued further up the hill. 'What did you say to me? I kept them safe, man, I looked out for them like they were my own, man!' Tala stopped in the middle of the two, looking between them.  
'I didn’t mean it that way,' Rick assured him, staring back.   
'Well, how’d you mean it? Go on man, how’d you mean it?' Shane said rather aggressively, walking up to Rick quickly. Rick glanced at Tala, slightly nervous, and she watched on with a vague interest in seeing how it would pan out.  
'You’re misinterpreting me, man,' Rick pushed.  
'Oh, right,' Shane said with just a hint of sarcasm.  
'You’re just hearing it wrong.'  
'Yeah?'  
‘Look you - you know I can never repay that debt, okay?'   
A crackle in the bush caused the three to raise their guns, looking for the source. Rick went ahead, down the hiking path and Tala swept her weapon behind them. Once she was certain nothing was there, she looked back at Shane. He had his gun trained onto Rick, adjusting his grip slightly before he gasped and let up. Dale had come up beside Tala and stared at him.  
‘Jesus,' The older man murmured. Tala didn’t say anything and felt an uncomfortable twist in her stomach.   
Shane laughed nervously, noticing Tala and Dale. He ran his hand through his hair. 'I know, we’re gonna have to start wearing reflective vests round here, seriously. C’mon man!' He shouted to Rick as he put his cap on. Dale was still staring at him and Tala chewed on her lip. 'C’mon guys, let’s go. Wanna get out of here?'  
Dale stared after him, concerned and Tala kept up with Shane.  
‘Who knew our uniform was such a good camouflage,’ She said quietly and Shane glanced at her. He swallowed audibly and look around.   
‘Don’t tell anyone about that, would you?’ He asked and Tala nodded. ‘I just, I spaced out. I wasn’t focused.’   
‘Of course, that’s what it looked like,’ Tala said. Something must have shown on her face because Shane stopped.  
‘What? What is it?’ He asked nervously.  
‘Nothing. I’m just, you know, I’m just concerned,’ Tala said, holding up her hands.  
‘You scared?’ He said quietly and Tala gave him a small, reassuring smile.  
‘No,’ She replied simply and took his hand. Shane gave her a small, nervous smile back. ‘You just need some rest, you’re exhausted. We all are. Come on, let’s get back to camp.’  
When they got back to camp, mostly everyone was sat around the fire. Andrea was asleep in her chair and Lori was sharpening a stick rather uselessly. She looked up as Shane and Tala came over to everyone.  
'I’ve, uh, been thinking about Rick’s plan,’ Shane started and everyone looked to him. ‘Now look there are no, uh, no guarantees. Either way I’ll be the first to admit that. I’ve known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing is we need to stay together. So for those of you that agree, we leave first thing tomorrow morning. Okay?' Everyone looked around. Tala nodded and smiled. Rick went away to radio his friend and everyone went back to doing what they had been doing. Shane and Tala sat together in silence for a while.  
‘I’m glad a decision was made,’ Tala said and Shane looked up at her. ‘And if the CDC doesn’t turn out to be viable, we can always go to Fort Benning as a backup.’  
Shane gave her a small smile. ‘Yeah. I’m thinking, here and now, it’s probably what’s best. It’s close and as you say, we can go back on the road if it doesn’t work.’  
Tala didn’t say anything for a moment, looking at the tents. ‘Will you sleep with me again, tonight?’ She asked quietly.  
‘I’ll pack up my tent now to save myself from doing it tomorrow morning,’ He said and Tala smiled. He got up, giving her a tired smile before walking away towards his tent. Lori came over and sat next to her.  
‘Did you get much of that math sheet done?’ She asked and Tala pulled it out from her pocket.  
‘Ah, you see, me and Carl ended up talking through most of it and not actually writing anything down,’ She said with a smile and Lori shook her head.  
‘Oh, well. Don’t tell him this, but I’m not entirely sure if I should keep teaching him this stuff,’ She said with a small frown. Tala laughed slightly.  
‘I’m sure that if everything goes back to the way it was, nobody will judge you for not keeping up with fractions and circumferences,’ She said and Lori looked relieved. She noticed Shane packing up his tent and looked back at Tala.  
‘What’s he doing?’  
‘Oh, he’s going to sleep in my tent tonight. Save him from packing tomorrow morning,’ Tala said and Lori nodded before going back to Carl. Shane finished quickly and dumped his stuff in Tala’s tent. She sat on her bed and watched him as he put his things in a corner.  
‘I don’t see the point in going back out, it’s not like we have any dinner,’ She said and he nodded.  
‘Yeah, me too. Are you going to sleep?’ He asked, looking at the camp beds and Tala shrugged.  
‘Probably. It might be the humidity talking, but I’ve been really tired today,’ She lay back, stretching her arms out and giving in to a yawn.   
Shane chuckled slightly, sitting down next to her. ‘You never did acclimatise, did you?’  
‘Scottish, through and through,’ She said with a smile and he pulled off his boots.  
‘I’m feeling pretty beat, too,’ He took off his shirt and Tala started getting undressed, pulling on an old top that she was pretty sure had been Mark’s. She lay back down and Shane held her hand again before they drifted off to sleep. 


	6. CDC

#  Six 

##  **_C D C_ **

_ Initialism - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The leading national public health institute of the United States of America. _

✦

Shane gently shook Tala and she woke with a start, her heart stopping before she realised it was him.  
‘Hey, woah, I’m sorry,’ He murmured and she breathed out, looking around blearily.  
‘What’s going on?’ She asked quietly.  
‘Nothing’s wrong, I’m just waking you up. We’re leaving soon,’ He explained and Tala nodded, rubbing her eyes.  
‘Oh yeah, I forgot,’ She replied and he got up.  
‘In about ten minutes we’re going to brief everyone. Better start packing,’ He said with a smile and Tala waved her hand in acknowledgement before he left. She pulled on some jeans and ran her brush through her hair lazily. She grabbed a different t-shirt from the floor that Shane hadn’t packed into his bag and pulled it on quickly before packing up the rest of her things.   
Tala slung her gun across her shoulders as she walked over to Rick and Shane. Rick looked her over and smiled slightly. Tala frowned, still not awake properly and he pointed to her t-shirt. She looked down and saw it was one of Shane’s, half tucked into her jeans.  
‘Ah, shit,’ Tala sighed and Shane looked too. He joined Rick’s smirking. ‘I’ll go change it,’ She apologised and he held up his hand.   
‘No need. It looks good on you,’ He said, that devilish smirk still playing on his face. Everyone eventually gathered around and Tala adjusted her grip on her gun, holding it beside her.  
'Right everybody listen up. Those of you with CBs, we’ll be on channel forty, but let’s keep the chatter down, okay? Now, you got a problem, don’t have a CB or can’t get a signal, anything at all, you’re gonna hit your horn one time and that’ll stop the caravan. Any questions?’ Shane instructed and nobody replied for a moment.  
'We’re uh .. We’re not going,' Morales spoke up and everyone was slightly shocked.  
'We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people,’ Miranda, his wife, explained.  
'You’re on your own, you won’t have anyone to watch your back,' Shane warned and Morales nodded.  
'We’ll take the chance. I gotta do what’s best for my family,’ Morales said, looking towards Rick.  
'You sure?' Rick replied, raising his eyebrows.  
'We talked about it, we’re sure.' Morales said and Rick and Shane looked at each other before nodding.  
'Alright,' Rick said before pulling out a .257 pistol and Shane got the ammo.  
'Box is half full,' Shane said and Morales nodded.  
'Thank you, for everything,' Miranda said and Tala went to hug her.   
‘You stay safe,’ Tala said quietly to her and she nodded, tears in her eyes. Tala smiled and gripped her hand tightly before Lori came to hug her.   
'Good luck man,' Shane said as he shook Morales’ hand.  Lori kissed their children’s heads and Morales daughter and Sophia hugged. Jacqui and Miranda hugged tightly.  
'We’ll be on channel forty, if you change your minds' Said Rick and Morales nodded.  
'Alright,' He said simply. Lori, Carol and Sophia cried as the Morales family walked away, who were also crying.  
'What makes you think our odds are any better?’ Shane said to Rick and Tala looked up at him. He shook his head, looking at the family. ‘C’mon, let’s go, let’s move out.' He said and everyone got into a vehicle. Shane and Tala jumped into his Jeep and the caravan pulled out, going down to the entrance of the access road. They turned onto the back roads, staying away from the highway, and the wind whipped against Tala’s face. She started smiling as Shane drove and fought the urge to stand and put her arms up.   
‘Are you nervous?’ Shane asked after about thirty minutes and Tala looked at him.  
‘I suppose so,’ She said and he nodded slowly. ‘Are you?’   
‘Yeah, I’m going to be honest,’ He said and she looked away again. He adjusted his cap on his head and glanced at her again before smirking. ‘That top really does look good on you.’ Tala hit him softly and he grinned wickedly. Dale’s RV, which had been leading the way, suddenly halted and the rest of the caravan stopped in its tracks. Tala got out quickly, grabbing her shotgun, and ran up to the front to see steam bellowing out of the front of the RV.  
'I told you we’d never get far on that hose,' Dale said to Rick as Tala came around. 'I needed the one from the van we had.'  
'Didn’t you ever rig it?' Rick asked, his hand at the back of his neck.  
'That’s all it’s been so far, it’s more duct tape than hose,’ Dale explained. ‘And I’m out of duct tape.'  
'I see something up ahead,’ Shane said, peering through his binoculars. ‘Gas station if we’re lucky.’  
Jacqui ran out of the RV, sweat pouring down her face. 'Y’all, Jim. It’s bad. I don’t think he can take anymore.' She said before running back into the camper. Tala bit her lip, looking to Shane.  
'Hey Rick, Tala, you wanna hold down the fort? I’ll drive ahead, see what I can bring back?' Shane asked and T-Dog nodded.  
'Yeah, I’ll come along too,’ He said. ‘I’ll watch your back.'  
Tala went over to Shane and shook her head. ‘You better be careful,’ She said quietly and he gave her that smile again.   
'Y’all keep your eyes open now, we’ll be right back,' He called out to the rest of the group, keeping his eyes on Tala. He went back to the Jeep and drove out with T-Dog and Tala bit her lip nervously. She went around the RV and sank down onto the road next to the door. Rick took his hat off and entered the camper. Carl came over to Tala and she smiled.  
‘Hey buddy, how are you liking the road trip?’ She asked and he gave her a small smile.  
‘I’ve been on better,’ He said and Tala laughed.  
‘I’m sure you have,’ His smile disappeared and Tala frowned. ‘What’s wrong?’  
‘Is Jim going to be okay?’ Carl asked, his eyes wide. Tala started chewing on her lip again.  
‘Hopefully. That’s why your dad wanted to go to the CDC. It’s like a big hospital there, and they might be able to help Jim,’ She explained gently and Carl nodded.  
‘Oh, okay. Good,’ Lori came over and Carl hugged her. Tala heard the Jeep and looked up. Shane and T-Dog got out and they came over.  
‘That was quick,’ Tala said, surprised. Shane nodded, looking annoyed.  
‘There wasn’t anything there. Just an empty building,’ He said and T-Dog shook his head as Rick came out of the RV.  
After a hesitation, he spoke. ‘Jim wants to be left here, says he can’t take the ride anymore,’ He said quietly, looking down towards the ground. Shane looked away and Tala could tell that he was already regretting agreeing to this plan. Everyone else looked at Rick, aghast. ‘It’s what he says he wants,’ Rick shrugged slightly after no one said anything.  
'And he’s lucid?' Said Carol after a moment.  
'He seems to be, I would say, yes,' Rick almost stuttered and Dale shifted on his feet.  
'Back in the camp, when I said Daryl might be right, and you shut me down, you misunderstood,’ He said sadly. ‘I would never go along with callously killing a man. What I was just gonna suggest was, we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer.'  
Tala nodded understandingly to Dale as he looked around at the group nervously. Dale always was the one for morality. The compass always facing north.  
'We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I’m not sure I could live with that,' Shane said quietly to Rick and Tala rubbed her head as it began to ache slightly.  
'It’s not your call, either one of you,' Lori said and Rick and Shane climbed into the camper after a hesitation. They hauled Jim out as gently as they could and pulled him up one of the banks at the side of the road. Jim groaned in pain and everyone gathered round.  
'Hey, another damn tree,' Jim chuckled and Shane knelt down beside him.  
'Hey Jim, you know it don’t need to be like this,' He said, looking pained.   
Jim shook his head a fraction. 'No, it’s good, the breeze feels nice.'  
'Okay, alright,' Shane nodded and stood up, walking over to Tala. She took his hand and squeezed it.  
Jacqui crouched down beside Jim. 'Just close your eyes sweetie, don’t bite,' She leant forward, and kissed his cheek before she started crying.  
Rick stepped forward. 'Jim, do you want this?' He showed him a pistol.  
'No, you’ll need it. I’m okay,'  
Dale smiled and stepped forward. 'Thanks for uh, for fighting for us,' He said with a sad smile and Jim smiled too.  
‘I’m okay,’ He said weakly and Dale cried slightly. Daryl nodded to Jim and Jim smiled slightly. Tala knelt down next to him as everyone started going back to their vehicles and Shane waited for her.  
‘I’m so sorry, Jim,’ She murmured and he shook his head. ‘You don’t deserve this. I wish we could have helped.’  
‘Don’t be sorry. I get to be with my family,’ He said and he looked up at the leaves, smiling. ‘I want to be with my family.’  
Tala nodded, tears of her own forming and she turned away, going back down the hill with Shane. She swallowed them back and Shane put his arm around her shoulders. They got in the Jeep and he started driving again. Tala didn’t look at Jim as they drove past him, she kept her eyes firmly on the car in front as tears slowly fell down her face.   
They sat in silence and Shane gently stroked Tala’s hand for a while before she managed to fall asleep. When she woke up, it was dusk and they were driving through the city. Tala sat up straight and looked around.  
‘We’re here,’ Shane murmured and they looked out at the bodies strewn everywhere. Tala didn’t say anything, she just grabbed her gun and tried to hold her breath as much as possible. Everyone started coughing at the overpowering stench of rotting organs. Rick led the way to the main building while Shane tried to shepherd everyone along.  
'We all wanna keep moving, alright? Stay quiet, let’s go' Shane said, hushed. 'Okay, keep moving, stay together, c’mon.'  
Everyone shushed each other as they wove their way through the dead towards a shuttered off building. Tala scanned the surroundings with her gun raised, staying close to Shane.  
'Hey. Hey, keep it together, c’mon,' Shane said as people coughed. Tala’s eyes stung from the smell and she tried her hardest to shut off her nose. They got to the front doors and Shane, Rick and Tala started looking at the doors.   
'Anything?' Shane asked the other two and Tala shook her head as he put his back against one of the shutters and heaved. Rick started slamming on the door.  
'There’s nobody here,' T-Dog said.  
'Then why are the doors down?' Rick asked pointedly, scanning over the doors.  
'Walkers!' Daryl warned and Carl and Sophia started crying. 'You led us into a graveyard!’ He shouted.  
'He made a call!' Dale defended as Shane moved towards Daryl.  
'Shut up, you hear me? Shut up,' He shoved the redneck away from Rick before turning to the other police officer. 'Rick, this is a dead end.'  
'Where are we gonna go?' Carol practically wailed and Tala began to feel anxious, watching a swarm of flies around a dead soldier’s head.  
'Do you hear me? No blame,' Shane said to Rick and Lori looked around.  
'She’s right, we can’t be here this close to the city after dark,' She said, worry tinged in her voice.  
Rick looked up at the door and Tala’s breathing got quicker, a lump of panic forming in her throat. The lack of control made Tala’s stomach knot unpleasantly. The plan, she realised, had not been a plan at all. A half formed fantasy that nobody thought about hard enough. Where had the details been when they were stood in a circle talking about Jim’s fate? This morning, when they were about to leave? Rick’s desperation had overridden the sense. What had he thought they were going to do in this outcome? She kept her back to the building and tried to swallow, her throat and chest becoming tight.  
'Fort Benning, Rick, still an option,' Shane pointed out, glancing at Tala as she bit her lip, looking around.  
'On what? No food, no fuel, it’s a hundred miles' Andrea pointed out and Daryl shot at another walker. Tala backed up against the concrete wall and stared out at the city, breathing heavily.  
'Hundred and twenty-five, I checked it on the map,' Glenn corrected, looking scared.  
'We need answers tonight, now!' Lori raised her voice and the kids cried harder. Tala tore the skin off her lips and they stung, pricking with blood that she could taste.  
'We'll think of something,' Rick cried out.  
'Well then find something!' Lori almost shrieked and Shane started moving. He looked around to Tala desperately and she managed to move her legs.  
‘Let’s go back to the quarry,’ She called out. ‘Get to the cars.’  
Shane nodded and looked back around at the group. 'Let’s go! Go please, everybody, let’s go back to the cars,' He instructed slightly louder.  
‘Stay quiet, guys, let’s go,’ Tala called out in a hushed tone and she held Carol’s hand tightly. The other woman looked round at her and Tala nodded reassuringly. ‘It’s going to be okay.’  
'The camera!' Rick called, holding out his arm for everyone to stop. 'It moved!'  
'You imagined it,' Dale said disbelievingly.  
'It moved,' Rick walked towards it.  
'It moved? Yeah, every ten minutes, it’s an automated device. It’s just winding down man, now c’mon!' Shane said, trying to drag Rick away. 'C’mon man please, would you just look around this place?It’s dead. Okay, it’s dead! You need to let it go, man!'  
Rick launched forward and kicked at the door and Shane looked at Tala again, panic in his eyes.  
'Rick there’s no one here!' Lori screamed and Rick sounded like he started crying.  
'I know you’re in there, I know you can hear me, please we’re desperate!' He shouted towards the camera and Tala scanned the area and saw several more walkers making their way over. She let go of Carol’s hand and raised her shotgun, keeping Carol beside her.  
'Everybody, c’mon let’s go back to the cars now!' Shane was still shouting. 'Go!'  
'Please help us, we have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left, we’ve got nowhere else to go,' Rick cried desperately.  
Lori came up to her husband, grabbing at him 'Rick! Rick, there’s nobody here.'  
'Please, we’ve got nowhere else to go,' He slammed on the door again. 'If you don’t let us in you’re killing us!' Tears started rolling down Tala’s cheeks out of pure panic as Rick screamed. Shane grabbed him and pulled him back. 'Please!' Rick pleaded.  
'C’mon brother, we’ve got to go, let’s go' Shane shouted, yanking him back and Rick turned finally, crying.  
'You’re killing us, you’re killing us,’ He cried out. ‘You’re killing us!’  
He stumbled slightly and then suddenly they were all flooded in light as one of the shutters open. Everyone stared for a moment before Tala ran in, pulling Carol and Sophia with her. Shane followed her and they gathered in the foyer to the building. Tala glanced at the surroundings before she leant against a reception desk, hyperventilating. Shane came over to her and hugged her as she tried to control her breathing. She leaned into his chest for a moment, only focusing on listening to Shane’s breathing so that she could fix her own. Everything else was a blur, a whine, a high pitched noise. Her breathing finally got under check and she rubbed her face.  
‘Sorry,’ Tala whispered and Shane kissed the top of her head.  
‘It’s okay,’ He said. ‘We’re okay.’  
‘Hello?’ An unfamiliar voice called out and everyone stared. Tala pulled away from Shane and they raised their guns towards the source almost instantly. A man carrying an assault rifle made his way into the foyer. ‘Anybody infected?’ He asked, his voice echoing around the cavernous room. Tala eyed him as Rick explained what happened to Jim and didn’t lower her gun, her stance steady.   
‘One of our group was,’ Rick said. ‘He didn’t make it.’  
‘Why are you here, what do you want?’ The man continued, coming forward further. Tala lowered her shotgun a millimetre as Shane lowered his next to her but she kept it raised.  
‘A chance,’ Rick said and the man kept coming.  
‘That’s asking an awful lot these days,’ He said.  
‘I know,’ Rick said carefully.  
‘You all submit to a blood test, that’s the price of admission,’ The man said after a moment and Tala glanced around at the others. They all looked terrified, too.  
‘We can do that,’ Rick answered shakily and the man lowered his rifle.  
‘You got stuff to bring in, you get it now. Once this door closes it stays closed,’ He said and Tala lowered her weapon finally. Shane and a few others ran out and Tala leant against the desk for a minute more, her headache from before coming back.   
When everyone was back with all the bags, the man swiped a key card in and said some instructions into a security pad. Rick went up to him and he said that his name was Doctor Edwin Jenner. Rick went to shake his hand but the doctor just eyed him warily. Tala stayed next to Shane as he lead them into an elevator.   
‘Doctors always go around packing heat like that?’ Daryl asked as they made their descent and Jenner gave a small smile, turning back to address the redneck.  
‘Ah, they were plenty left lying around, I familiarised myself,’ He said, looking at each member of the group for a second. ‘You all look harmless enough,’ He said, eyeing Tala for a moment longer before looking at Carl. ‘Except you, I’ll have to keep my eye on you.’  
Carl smiled slightly and Tala leant against Shane, her headache becoming almost too much to bear, the clinical lighting of the facility not helping things. He put his arm around her shoulder again and she gave him a weak smile. They got out of the elevator and started walking through white corridors. The air felt recycled and it smelt like the dentist. Tala rubbed her eyes as they walked.  
‘Are we underground?’ Carol asks, sounding nervous.  
‘You claustrophobic?’ Jenner replied, glancing back and Carol shrugged.  
‘A little.’  
‘Try not to think about it,’ He said, turning back to face the front. Shane and Tala glanced at each other, the same look of scepticism etched into their frowns. They walked down a ramp into a big room with lots of computers in it, with a big projector screen that took up a whole wall. ‘Vi, bring up the lights in the big room,’ Jenner called out and the lights turned on. ‘Welcome to Zone 5.’  
‘Where is everybody? The other doctors, the staff?’ Rick asked and Jenner stood in the middle of all the computers.  
‘I’m it,’ He said simply and Tala scoffed. She looked at Shane, shaking her head and he looked thoroughly unimpressed. ‘It’s just me here.’  
‘What about the person you were speaking with?’ Lori asked incredulously. ‘Vi?’  
‘Vi, say hello to our guests. Tell them, welcome,’ Jenner said and an artificial intelligence voice played on a speaker.  
‘Hello guests, welcome,’ It said and Rick looked destroyed. The rest of the group looked shocked. Tala sighed slightly and Shane took her hand.  
‘I’m all that’s left,’ Jenner said and hesitated. ‘I’m sorry,’ He walked away and gestured for everyone to come with him and they followed, Rick continuing to lead the way. Jenner led them into what looked like a lecture room where he took everyone’s blood.   
‘What’s the point? If we were infected we’d all be running a fever,’ Andrea said as Jenner put the needle in her arm. He smiled slightly.  
‘I’ve already broken every rule in the book, letting you in here. Let me at least be thorough,’ Jenner explained. Andrea stood up and stumbled slightly. Jacqui was there to help her over to another seat. ‘Are you okay?’ The doctor asked and Jacqui nodded.  
‘She hasn’t eaten in days, none of us have,’ She said and Jenner looked over the group for a moment before finishing with Tala.  
Tala sat down and rolled up her sleeve, waiting for him to get it over with. He seemed to fumble with opening the needle and Tala watched, slightly uneasy. He finally got the needle out of its plastic packaging and tried to find her vein. He pricked her skin and cursed under his breath as Tala let out a small yelp, pulling her arm away to see that he had missed the vein entirely.  
‘Seriously? You literally just did this on twelve other people!’ She said irritatedly and he put the needle down on the table.   
‘I’m sorry, really, let me clean that up for you,’ He said slightly frantically as he grabbed a cotton ball.   
‘It’s fine, I’ll just do it myself,’ Tala said, taking the ball out of his hands and pressing it to her skin before getting another needle and swiftly drawing the blood out of her arm. She handed it to the doctor and he blinked at her.  
‘Are you a nurse or something?’ He asked incredulously and Tala laughed.  
‘No, God. No. I am - or, was, a police officer. My husband was a nurse and I managed to learn through a series of unfortunate events,’ She said with a bitter smile and Jenner nodded slowly, the shocked expression staying on his face.  
He took them into the cafeteria where he surprised them with a huge dinner. He gave everyone a glass of wine and Tala decided to drink it, despite her headache. She kept a glass of water close, though.   
‘I thought you didn’t like drinking,’ Shane said with a raised eyebrow and Tala gave a small smile.  
‘I might as well live a little at the end of the world,’ She murmured to him and he smiled slightly. They all ate and Carl tried wine for the first time. He took a sip before scrunching up his face in disgust.  
‘Ew!’ He said and Lori rubbed his arm as everyone laughed.  
‘That’s my boy,’ She said, pouring his into her own glass as she rubbed his back and Tala smiled fondly.  
Shane looked over to Glenn and smirked. ‘You should uh, stick to soda pop, bud,’ He said and Glenn looked up.  
‘Not you, Glenn,’ Daryl said and Glenn smiled.   
‘What?’ He asked innocently and Daryl smirked.  
‘You keep drinking little man, I wanna see how red your face can get,’ He said and everyone laughed a bit louder. Shane shook his head and Tala laughed.  
Rick tapped his glass and stood up. ‘Seems to me we haven’t thanked our host properly,’ He said, words slightly slurred and T-Dog raised his glass.  
‘He is more than just our host,’ He said and everyone cheered.  
‘Booya,’ Daryl shouted and Tala raised her glass.   
‘So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc? All the, ah, the other doctors. They're supposed to be figuring out what happened. Where are they?’ Shane said and the laughter died out.  
‘We’re celebrating, Shane, no need to do this now,’ Rick said as Tala took a sip of her wine.  
‘Whoa, wait a second. That's why we're here, right? This was your move, we were supposed to find all the answers, but instead we, ah, well we found him.’ Shane pointed towards Jenner, sitting at the head of the table. ‘We found one man. Why?’ Jenner looked around and sighed.  
‘Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left. Went off to be with their families. And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted.’ He replied sadly. Tala looked at Shane in warning, but he paid no attention to her.  
‘Every last one?’ He asked, and Tala kicked him from underneath the table. He glared at her but kept focusing his attention back to Jenner.   
‘No. Many couldn't face walking out of the door,’ Jenner said coldly. ‘They ‘opted’ out. There was a rash of suicides, in the corridors... That was a bad time…’ Shane looked back at Tala and sighed. She shook her head and took another drink.  
‘You didn't leave. Why?’ Andrea asked seriously.  
‘I just kept working. Hoping to do some good.’ Jenner answered back, and his gaze stayed on Tala and Andrea.  
‘Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man,’ Glenn said to Shane and Tala continued eating. Shane just looked at everyone before shrugging and drinking some more.   
Once everyone had eaten more than their own body weight, Jenner showed them the accommodation. Tala took her bag off of Shane and they walked down yet another corridor.   
‘Most of the facility is powered down, including housing, so you’ll have to make do here,’ Jenner explained. ‘The couches are comfortable but there are some cots in storage if you’d like. There’s a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy,’ He said turning. ‘Just don’t plug in the video games, or use anything that draws power,’ He smiled at the kids before straightening up and addressing the rest of the group. ‘Same applies, if you shower, go easy on the hot water.’ He walked away and Glenn turned to us.  
‘Hot water?’ He said, a smile creeping across his face.  
‘That’s what the man said!’ T-Dog said and everyone beamed.   
Shane and Tala went into the room that they were sharing together and Tala set her bag down on the floor, rubbing her eyes again as her vision blurred slightly.  
‘Have a shower before me, go on,’ Shane said and before Tala could even begin to protest he threw a towel at her. She smiled shakily and went into the bathroom. She watched the jets of water stream down and hesitantly stepped in, as if doubtful that there actually was hot water. It ran over her face and hair and she sighed contently before trying to drunkenly scrub off roughly two months of grime. She got out so that Shane could shower and smiled when she heard him moan softly as he got in.   
Tala put on a t-shirt and some underwear and climbed into one of the cots Shane had fished out of the cupboard. She wrapped her blanket from home around her, the one that she used to put over her daughters when they were watching movies. Shane wandered out of the room as she curled up and started reading her book as best as she could, but the letters kept jumping around. She kept trying to read for about twenty more minutes until Shane barged back into the room.  
He dropped the glass bottle he was holding and it shattered onto the floor. He walked into the bathroom before he started vomiting violently and Tala laughed slightly.  
‘I didn’t realise you were such a lightweight,’ She slurred, going over to the bathroom door before grimacing. ‘Aw, hell, you’re gonna start a chain reaction.’ She walked out of the room, sidestepping the broken bottle and puddle of what seems to be whisky. She hated it when people were sick. Turning around, she slowly sunk down onto the floor. Rick saw her and walked over.   
‘What's wrong?’ He asked, his speech slurred, crouching down so they were at eye level. Shane threw up again and Tala gestured towards the sound.  
‘Shane's not feeling well,’ She said somewhat blearily. Rick stood up and turned to open the door. ‘No, don't. I can handle it.’ Tala scrambled up. He nodded before saying goodnight. Tala went back into the room to find Shane sat on the bed, his breathing heavy and his face in his hands.  
‘Shane?’ He looked up, his eyes bloodshot. Tala took a few steps towards him. ‘Shane…’ She repeated gently. He shook his head and raked his hands through his soft mess of hair.  
‘She hates me,’ He croaked. ‘After I kept her and Carl safe!’  
‘She doesn’t...’ Tala sat down beside him and he sighed.  
‘I fucked it up, though. We were in the recreation room, and... And…’ He stopped and shook his head. ‘I... I said a lot of stuff and I... and she scratched me.’ Tala looked at his neck and noticed the scratches. She bit her lip, staring at the agitated wounds before looking away.   
‘I truly don’t see how things could have been any worse between you two,’ She said, sighing. She shook her head and looked back at him with a sad smile. ‘She never deserved you in the first place.’  
Shane looked at her and tried to smile slightly. Tala smiled again and he leaned forward and kissed her. It only lasted a couple of seconds but in that moment Tala seemed to melt, his lips tasting of a sweet whiskey and mint. He pulled back and Tala swayed, slightly woozy. They laid down together and he put his arm around Tala as she put her head on his chest, pulling the sheets over them. At once she felt safer, and sleep came as easily as breathing.

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

The next morning Tala got up silently, a dull ache surrounding her head. She dressed quickly and took her pistol from the bedside cabinet. She cleared up the broken whiskey bottle before she snuck out of the room and went down to the cafeteria. She looked around the empty room and started a pot of coffee, her movements slow and the lighting making her feel ill. Lori came in and smiled at her. When Tala was unresponsive Lori confronted her.  
‘What? Why are you looking at me like that?’ She said.  
‘No reason,’ Tala sighed, pouring herself a cup and gesturing it to her.  
‘Look, if this is about Shane, it isn’t my fault,’ The other woman said icily and Tala shrugged.  
‘I just don’t feel well. Do you want some coffee or not?’ She almost snapped and Lori closed her mouth and nodded, her lips a thin line.  
T-Dog and Glenn walked in and Tala sat down. T-Dog looked in the cupboards and found powdered eggs. He started whisking them up and Carl, Andrea, Carol, Daryl, Sophia and Dale came in.   
Rick came in just as T-Dog served up breakfast. Tala was still full from last night so she didn’t eat anything, her headache slowly getting worse, a jabbing now present above her right eye. Glenn groaned and the group chuckled lightly. Shane came in and headed straight to the coffee machine.  
‘Feeling as bad as I do?’ Rick asked and Shane smiled thinly.  
‘Worse,’ He replied as he grabbed a cup of coffee and walked over to Tala.  
‘What happened to your neck, bro?’ T-dog asked. Shane shrugged.  
‘Must have done it in my sleep,’ He lied convincingly.  
‘I thought I heard something,’ Tala played along, and Shane nodded slightly to her.  
‘Never seen you do that before,’ Said Rick, confused.  
‘Me either, not like me at all,’ Shane replied, eyeing Lori.  
‘Things have changed,’ Tala said simply. ‘Now, even the bravest people get nightmares.’ Everyone nodded, deep in thought about their own night-time horrors, made especially for them.


	7. Disease

#  Seven

##  **_D i s e a s e_ **

_ /dɪˈziːz/ _ _   
_ _ Noun - A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury. _

✦

‘Morning,’ Called Doctor Jenner. Replies of 'morning doc' were scattered around the room.   
‘Doctor, I don't mean to bombard you with questions first thing -’ Dale started.  
‘But you will anyway,’ Jenner interrupted rudely. Tala watched him, sipping her coffee as he poured his own.  
‘We didn't come here for the eggs,’ Said Andrea. Jenner scratched his nose. He took them back into the big computer room.  
‘Give me a playback of TS-19,’ Said Jenner. Vi loaded up a visual of someone's head.  
‘Playback of Test Subject 19.’  
‘Few people ever got to see this. Very few,’ Jenner stated.  
‘Is that a brain?’ Asked Carl.  
‘An extraordinary one,’ Jenner hesitated. ‘Not that it matters anymore. Take us in visual IV.’  
‘Enhanced internal view.’  
The screen zoomed in on the brain. Electric blue pulses rushed around. Tala watched, almost enthralled. ‘Oh my god,’ She breathed and Shane frowned.  
‘What are those lights?’ He asked.  
‘It's a person's life, experiences, memories. It is everything. Somewhere, in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you. A thing that makes you unique and human,’ Jenner explained, watching the lights himself as though he knew them.  
‘It all makes sense? It all works?’ Said Daryl.  
‘Those are synapses. Electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does or thinks from the moment of birth, to the moment of death,’ Jenner nodded.   
‘Death. That's what this is? A visual?’ Rick asked.  
‘Yes, or rather, a playback of a visual.’  
‘This person died? Who?’ Said Andrea.  
‘Test Subject 19. Someone who was bitten, infected and volunteered to have us record the process. Vi, scan forward to the first event.’  
‘Scanning to first event.’  
Everyone stared, transfixed at the screen as it skipped forward. Black lines started spreading in the brain. Tala couldn’t look away, although at this point she started to want to, the thought of her daughters creeping into her mind.  
‘What is that?’ Asked Glenn, appalled.  
‘It invades the brain like meningitis. The brain goes into shutdown and then the major organs,’ Jenner gestured as the test subject started coughing violently as the black lines spread. Suddenly the brain went totally black, and the body still. Tala didn’t react other than clenching her fists, digging her fingernails into her palm tightly. ‘Then death. Everything you ever were, or ever will be, gone.’  
‘Is that what happened to Jim?’ Asked Sophia innocently. From the corner of Tala’s eye she could see Shane watching her. He looked down and wrapped his hand around hers.  
‘Yes, sweetie,’ Replied Carol. Andrea took a deep breath and Tala blinked. That had happened to her  _ daughters _ .  
‘Andrea lost her sister two days ago, and not long after this virus broke out, Tala lost her husband and daughters,’ Explained Lori. Tala kept her eyes on the screen with a subtle frown, a knot in her stomach. They hadn’t come to the worst part.  
‘I lost somebody too. I know how devastating it is…’ Jenner said gently. ‘Scan to the second event.’  
‘Scanning to second event.’  
‘The resurrection times vary wildly. We have reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this situation it was two hours, one minute... And seven seconds,’ Jenner continued, staring up at the screen as red lights flickered in the brain. Some started pulsing through the brain quickly, but most stayed clustered in the centre, like some bizarre map.  
‘It restarts the brain?’ Said Lori, horrified.  
‘No, just the brain stem,’ Corrected Jenner. ‘Basically it gets them up and moving.’  
‘But they aren't alive,’ Protested Rick.  
‘You tell me,’ Jenner said calmly.  
‘It's nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark,’  
‘Dark, lifeless. Dead. The frontal lobes, the neocortex, the human part. That doesn't come back. The ‘you’ part. Just a shell, driven by mindless instinct.’  A bullet streaked through the head and Tala didn’t flinch. She felt a strange mix of calm and horror. It was a vague clutch of closure for what happened to her children that she didn’t want to let go of.  
‘God, what was that?’ Exclaimed Carol.  
‘He shot his patient in the head, didn't you?’ Answered Andrea.  
‘Vi, power down the main screen and workstations.’  
‘Powering down main screen and workstations.’  
‘You have no idea what it is, do you?’ Andrea said.  
‘It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, or fungal,’ Jenner hesitated, looking around at everyone. Tala held Shane’s hand tightly, staring at the doctor.  
‘The wrath of God?’ Said Jacqui. Tala bit her tongue, scowling. Her children did not die because God was bored.  
‘There's that.’  
‘Somebody must know something, somebody, somewhere!’ Andrea protested.  
‘There may be some, people like me.’  
‘You don't know, how can you not know?’ Demanded Rick.  
‘Everything went down, communications, directives, all of it! I've been in the dark for almost a month!’ Said Jenner incredulously, staring at Tala’s old boss.   
‘So it's not just here. There is nothing left anywhere?’ Andrea asked and Tala sighed. She rubbed her forehead as Shane stroked her hand with his thumb. Jenner glanced at her.  
‘Nothing? That's what you saying, right? Jesus,’ Andrea continued.  
‘Man, we should get drunk again,’ Said Daryl and Shane smirked.  
‘That would be fun,’ He replied beside Tala.  
‘Dr Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you, and I hate to ask one more question, but that clock, it's counting down. What happens when it gets to zero?’ Dale asked cautiously, pointing to the digital clock on the wall.  
‘The basement generators run out of fuel,’ Replied Jenner after another hesitation.  
‘And then?’ Said Rick heatedly. ‘Vi, what happens when the power runs out?’  
‘When the power runs out facility wide decontamination will occur.’  
The men started planning, rushing, panicking. The women all seemed dumbfounded and the mothers held their children closely. Tala kept her eyes on the doctor and walked over to him calmly. She heard Rick and Shane talk about going to the basements before the group ended up splitting. The room emptied and Jenner looked around to her.   
‘I’m sorry,’ He said after a hesitation. ‘I wish I could have done more.’  
Tala sighed, looking up at the screen. ‘I think I was expecting it, deep down,’ She said quietly before looking back to the doctor. ‘But there is something you could do.’  
He raised his eyebrow expectantly. ‘Oh?’  
‘Could you take me to the labs? I just,’ Tala took a breath. ‘I would like to see. Not even go in them, just … look.’  
Jenner hesitated again, running a hand over his head before sighing. ‘There’s not much left of them,’ He said eventually. ‘There isn’t much to see.’  
‘There’s still something, though,’ Tala tilted her head slightly and Jenner looked away before sighing again.  
‘Okay, but don’t expect much from it,’ He said quietly. He led Tala through the facility and they descended another floor before he finally stopped in front of a glass window. It looked into a small laboratory that was completely blackened on the inside. The equipment was charred, most of it was shattered or broken. Jenner looked through the window and shook his head. ‘A couple of days ago I was down here and I had my last piece of material. One mistake and the entire lab had to be decontaminated.’  
Tala stared, wide eyed at the room. ‘This is what decontamination looks like?’ She said, aghast. Jenner didn’t reply and Tala swallowed the panic back down, refusing to get upset in front of him. ‘Was all of your evidence in there?’  
‘Yes. All that mattered, anyway. I don’t have any other samples that are nearly as fresh as the one I was using,’ He muttered, leaning against the window sill.   
‘There’s plenty of walkers outside, I’m sure we could get you some more,’ Tala said but Jenner shook his head.  
‘Topside is locked down. I told you, once I closed those doors they wouldn’t be opening again,’ He said. Tala blinked and looked at him.  
‘We’re trapped here?’ She said and he didn’t reply again. Tala turned her body towards him and stared. ‘We can’t leave?’  
‘Do you want to?’ He asked, finally looking at her. ‘You want to go back out there? Live out there again?’  
‘It’s kind of essential,’ Tala exclaimed. ‘Fuel, food, ammunition. It’s all out there. How can we scavenge from in here?’  
Jenner laughed and looked back into the lab. ‘Didn’t you look at the clock? How much time there is until the generators run out?’  
Tala’s mind scrabbled as she tried to understand. ‘We could go get fuel from the cars we came in -’  
‘You can’t get out,’ Jenner said shortly. He sighed and looked at Tala. ‘I’m sorry. Is that really a world you want to live in, though?’   
Tala surveyed him for a moment. ‘You haven’t been out there, have you?’ She murmured.   
‘I,’ Jenner hesitated before frowning. ‘How can you tell?’   
‘It’s bad, I’ll give you that,’ Tala looked around at the building. ‘It’s awful. It’s traumatising and terrifying. But the thing about humans is that we adapt and we survive. Soon enough it will stop being about surviving and start being about living again.’   
Jenner didn’t say anything and started walking away. Tala hurried after him. ‘Do you know how it started?’ She asked and Jenner stopped. He looked around and frowned.  
‘No,’ He said and Tala just looked at him.   
‘What do you mean ‘no’? How can you not know?’ She said, the frown on her face seemingly permanent. Jenner hesitated again.  
‘You want the whole history of it? All the medical details?’ He asked with a raised eyebrow and Tala nodded. He sighed and started walking back to the lift again, gesturing to her to follow him. ‘It originated somewhere in Western Africa. Sierra Leone, maybe. Liberia. At the time, people saw the symptoms as Ebola and were treated as such, but the treatments weren’t working. The fatalities started piling up, and then the casualties started coming … back.’  
Tala followed the doctor through the empty building. He took her to an office and gestured to a board covered in papers. Underneath, Tala managed to see a pinpointed map.   
‘At first we thought of it as a strain of Ebola. The symptoms were so similar. The main difference was how quickly the virus affected the patient,’ Jenner said. Tala raised an eyebrow.  
‘Along with people coming back from the dead,’ She said quietly. ‘Where was the first case here?’  
Jenner looked at her for a moment before looking back at the board, shaking his head slightly. ‘What’s the use in knowing?’ He asked and Tala sighed. She put her hands in her pockets, balling up her fists.  
‘I just want to know the chain of events that led to the death of my children. For closure, or something of the sorts. For the sake of knowing,’ She teared up slightly and gave an exasperated laugh, blinking back the tears. ‘I suppose you’re right, there’s no use in knowing.’ She called back to the doctor as she walked to the door.  
‘It was Aspen. Colorado,’ Jenner said hurriedly. Tala looked back at him and blinked. ‘Infected workers started coming back home from Africa. The next cases came into major cities. New York, LA, and then here. We started working on it far too late. By the time the case in Atlanta had been identified, ten more people in the downtown alone were infected. It spread like wildfire. You were a cop, right? How bad was it where you were?’   
Tala leaned against the desk and ran a hand through her hair. ‘Well, it spread like wildfire,’ She said with a sad smile. ‘It started with one guy at a gas station. He had attacked three people, plus my colleague. They all turned at the local hospital, where my husband was working. He managed to get bit, and before I could get home he bit my daughters.’  
Jenner didn’t say anything for a moment. He stood there, staring at the board for a long time. ‘How old were they?’ He finally asked. Tala tilted her head towards him.  
‘They had just turned three. Twins,’ She managed to say. A tear slipped down her cheek as Jenner hung his head.   
‘I’m sorry,’ He said. ‘I’m sorry we failed you.’  
Tala didn’t answer, wiping her face. Jenner turned to her and looked like he was about to say something before shaking his head. Tala wasn’t sure how she felt about knowing, now. Knowing how completely and utterly in over his head this guy was. He was the only doctor left and he seemed to be at the same ability as her.   
‘That’s all you know? There’s nothing at all you can do?’ She finally asked and Jenner shook his head.  
‘No samples, no fuel, no one else. Even if I knew what else to do I wouldn’t be able to do it,’ He said. Tala looked at him, hopelessness filling up her chest. He had given up. Everything about him screamed that he was a man with nothing left to live for. Tala was still unsure about her attitude towards the situation, but she knew that whatever happened, this man was not going to get her killed.   
‘Thank you, doctor,’ Tala said after a long time, pushing herself off of the desk and walking to the door. ‘Even if there’s no use in knowing, it certainly was interesting.’  
Tala went back to her room without giving Jenner the chance to say anything else. She packed her and Shane’s bags with their clothes, and managed to fit the provided duvet into Shane’s bag. She put them at the door and started to bite her nails anxiously, tears pouring down her face. There was nothing that could be done and they were trapped in a building that was about to self destruct. Tala sat down on the cot, her mind racing with horrible intrusive thoughts as someone knocked on the door gently.  
‘Come in,’ She murmured, wiping her face and Lori walked in. Tala sighed and raised her eyebrows. ‘What do you want?’  
‘Why do you hate me?’ Lori asked after a moment. Tala shook her head and allowed herself a small smile, despite the circumstances.  
‘That’s what you came here for?’ She asked and Lori didn’t say anything. The world had ended and she was worried about her popularity. How painfully typical. ‘Oh, Lori, don’t play dumb. Let’s not start wasting time now.’  
Lori frowned. ‘I don’t understand, what do you -?’ She started and Tala laughed coldly.  
‘Everything that happened with Mark,’ She spat and her eyes went wide. ‘Oh, you didn’t think I knew? You were sloppy, and he was stupid. It’s as if you fucked right in front of my eyes.’  
‘Tala, that was a mistake -’  
‘Like Shane was?’  
‘Why do you care so much?’  
‘About my husband cheating on me?’ Tala said, raising her eyebrows and Lori faltered.  
‘No, I meant … I meant Shane,’ She said, her voice barely a whisper and Tala sighed, looking at her nails.  
‘Because he means more to me than anything this world has to offer, now. He has always been there, been something solid to lean against. Something fierce and protective and unmoving. After everything, he has been there for me, and I have been there for him. But he is infatuated with you. He’s wrapped around your little finger and he can’t quite figure out how to unravel,’ Tala said, rubbing her face, the hangover pulling exhaustion over her body like a horrible bedding. Lori stood there like a student who was trying to get out of going to detention.  
‘I—that isn't my fault,’ She said defensively and Tala raised her eyebrows at her again.  
‘You lead him on. You used him for your own survival. You had sex, for God’s sake.’   
‘That was before I found out my husband was alive! Shane lied to me!’  
‘You didn't see him,’ Tala said in a dangerous tone and Lori’s eyes widened again.  
‘Excuse me?’ She said indignantly.   
‘You didn't see Shane when he came back. He was on my doorstep, he was distraught, and he... He looked completely and utterly terrified. He looked at me and took a few breaths before he told me that Rick was dead, his voice cracking with every fucking syllable,’ Tala stood, moving towards Lori. She glared at her and shook her head. ‘I tried to take him inside but he shook his head. He said we had to leave, right then instead of what the plan had been. He was so upset.’  
‘He must have been lying,’ Lori shot back quickly.  
Tala stopped, staring at her, genuinely lost for words. ‘You are joking, right?’ She said and Lori shook her head, glaring back at Tala. ‘You’re ridiculous.’  
‘Look, Tala, I’m sorry about Mark. I really, really am. I was in a bad place, my marriage with Rick was -’ She started and Tala held up her hand.  
‘Don’t you dare start making excuses. Your marriage was breaking down so you decided to ruin mine too?’ She scoffed and Lori shut up quickly. Tears came to her eyes and Tala smiled coldly. She shook her head and got up but Lori didn’t let her leave.  
‘Don’t tell Rick,’ Lori said thickly. ‘I know that I don’t deserve anything from you but please, please. Don’t tell Rick about Mark, and Shane. Not yet, at least.’ Tala sighed before nodding.   
‘You’re right. You don’t deserve that,’ She paused, watching coldly as a tear fell down Lori’s face. ‘I won’t say anything.’  
Lori’s eyes went wide and she hugged Tala. ‘Thank you, thank you,’ She said and Tala grimaced, pushing the other woman off of her.  
‘Alright, that’s enough,’ Tala said.   
Lori looked down the corridor and sighed. ‘Come to my room, please? I need to stay with Carl.’  
Tala paused, looking steadily at her before shrugging. ‘I’ll be there in a minute,’ She said and Lori nodded, walking out of the room. Tala sagged back down onto the cot, almost laughing out of spite. Lori hadn’t ruined her marriage, but Tala liked to blame it on her. In reality, it was her fault for marrying the wrong man. She heard footsteps coming down the corridor and she looked up, frowning.  
‘Tala?’ Called out Shane. Tala looked out of the door and saw some of the others come out of their rooms. Shane saw her and pulled her into a hug. When he let go, he sighed with relief.  
‘What – Shane?’ Tala said and he looked so relieved to have found her.  
‘I didn't know where you were. I was worried,’ Tala blinked and smiled. Lori came out and she asked if she and Shane could talk in private. Shane was a bit reluctant to leave Tala but she shrugged and went over to Carl as the other two went into their room.  
‘Hey Carl, how about you write me a story, or a comic, or something?’ He nodded and when they went back into Lori’s room, he started writing. When he gave Tala the piece of paper she read it through and smiled. He drew a small comic about what life was like before. Before Rick was shot, before the world ended, before everything happened. When Tala finished reading, she gave it back to him and she smiled.  
‘That was amazing!’ Tala said, ruffling his hair  
He beamed at her, ‘Thanks.’ He blushed slightly as Lori and Shane came in.  
‘Show your mum your comic!’ Tala said and Carl passed the sheet of paper. Shane read it over Lori's shoulder and nodded, impressed. Tala smiled at Carl and Shane indicated that they should leave.  
‘You packed the bags?’ He asked quietly and Tala glanced at Carl.  
‘I had a chat with Jenner,’ She murmured. ‘I don’t think we should have come here.’  
Shane sighed and opened the door as Lori reached up and waved her hand below the air vent. She did this a few times.  
‘Mom, something wrong?’ Carl asked. Tala looked back before glancing at Shane and he paused.  
‘Oh, nothing. It's just the air conditioning stopped,’ She replied.  
The lights flickered off and Lori glanced at Tala. They all walked out into the hall. Jenner walked down and Tala felt exasperated.  
‘Why's the air off? And the lights?’ Said Carol, Sophia tagging along behind her. Jenner kept walking. Daryl stuck his head out of his room, holding a whiskey bottle.  
‘What's going on?’ Daryl said, a little slurred. ‘Why's everything turning off?’ Dr Jenner snatched the bottle out of his hands and took a swig. Tala frowned and kept up with him, Shane at her side.  
‘Energy use is being prioritised,’ Jenner stated, striding forward.  
‘Air isn't a priority?’ Demanded Dale. ‘And light?’  
‘It's not up to me. Zone 5 is shutting itself down.’  
Tala went back to her room quickly, grabbing her bag and slinging Shane’s across her shoulder. She holstered her pistol and took the shotguns with her. The bad feeling in the pit of her stomach wasn’t leaving her alone and it was making her feel sick.  
‘Hey! Hey, what the hell does that mean?! Hey, man I'm talking to you? What do you mean it's shutting itself down?! How can a building do anything?’ Shouted Daryl and Tala hurried back out.  
‘You'd be surprised,’ Answered Jenner.  
‘Rick?’ Called Lori. Rick, Glenn and T-Dog came back from the basement.  
‘Jenner, what is happening?’ Demanded Rick. Tala glanced at Shane as he took his gun and bag, readying herself.  
‘The system is dropping all of the non-essential uses of power. It's designed to keep the computers running until the last possible second…’ Jenner hesitated. He took another gulp and passed the bottle back to Daryl. They were in the main facility and all the workstations were off. The main screen had a timer shown. Tala looked at Daryl and nodded at the bottle in his hands. He passed it to her and she took a few mouthfuls before giving it back to him, her throat burning.  
‘It was the French,’ Jenner said after a moment.  
‘What?’ Said Andrea.  
‘They were the last ones to hold, as far as I know. A lot of people were bolting out of the door and committed suicide in the halls. But the others, they stayed in the lab until the end. They thought they were close to finding a solution,’ He muttered.  
‘So, what happened?’ Asked Jacqui.  
‘Same thing that's happening here. No power grid... Ran out of juice,’ Jenner stopped, deliberating. ‘The world runs on fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?’ He said, jeering and Shane walked forwards. Tala watched, the nerves building up in her chest again. Her eyes darted around the room and she slowly started backing away.  
‘Let me tell you something!’ Shane started but Rick interrupted him.  
‘To hell with this Shane, I don't even care! Lori, grab our things. Everybody get your stuff. We're getting out of here now!’ He yelled.  
‘Shane,’ Tala called out, close to the door. He looked around at her, his eyes going to the bags and he nodded. She could see the panic in his eyes and it made her feel sick.  
‘Thirty minutes to decontamination,’ Vi said.  
‘Everybody, you heard Rick get your stuff now!’ Shane shouted and Jenner did something. Tala turned to go out the door but an alarm started blaring and the exit sealed. Tala dropped her bag and turned back around, panic rising in her throat.  
‘Did you just lock us in?! He just locked us in!’ Exclaimed Glen.  
Daryl ran towards Jenner but Shane and T-Dog intercepted him.  
‘Jenner, please. Please, let us out,’ Tala said and he shrugged. She shook her head, pacing slightly before looking towards him. ‘Let us out, right now. To hell with your building, just let us go.’  
Jenner just looked at her and shook his head. ‘No,’ He said, tilting his head towards her slightly. ‘I already told you, and you said there was no use.’  
There was a strange look in his eye as he jeered at her. Tala stared at him desperately before launching at him. Everybody was too slow, Shane and T-Dog too caught up with Daryl and Rick too shocked to move, so she got Jenner by the neck. She pushed him against the desk and punched his face, hard, again and again. Jenner grabbed her neck and pushed her back, taking hold of her wrist.  
‘That’s not what I fucking said,’ She said through gritted teeth.  
‘Don’t you touch her,’ Shane said in a voice that made Jenner stop in his tracks, and with both of her hands occupied Tala kicked out with her foot. She caught him in the thigh and he let go of her wrist with a howl of pain. Shane grabbed her waist and Tala struggled against his grip. He pulled her away and Tala kept fighting against his strength.  
‘Shane, let go,’ She said lowly and he just gripped her tighter. ‘Shane.’ He looked at the damage Tala had done to Jenner's face. His nose and lip were bleeding and his left eye was already bruising and swelling. His neck was all red from where her hands had been gripping it, and his face was still red from the lack of oxygen.  
‘Tala, calm down. Calm down,’ Shane said, stopping. They were out of the view of the rest of the group and Tala slid down onto the floor. He knelt beside her and pulled her into a hug and she relaxed slightly, breathing hard as he rubbed her back. ‘Jesus,’ He said. Tala didn’t say anything and stood up. Shane hurried to get beside her.  
‘Like I said. There is no point. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed,’ Jenner said somewhat hoarsely, eyeing Tala as she leaned against one of the computers.  
‘Well then open the damn things!’ Said Dale.  
‘That's not something I can control. The computers do. I told you, once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that. It's better this way.’  
‘What is? What happens in twenty eight minutes?’ Demanded Rick. When Jenner didn’t say anything, Tala moved forward, but Shane stopped her, his hands going around her waist. ‘What happens in twenty eight minutes?’ Shouted Rick.  
‘You know what this place is?! We protected the public from very nasty stuff! Weaponised Smallpox! Ebola strays that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don't want getting out, ever!’ Jenner yelled, and everyone stared at his red face. Shane’s grip got tighter around Tala and she looked to the doctor. Jenner sat down again. He straightened his coat and cleared his throat.  
‘Tell them,’ Tala said. He looked around at her and she stared back steadily. ‘Tell them what the fucking decontamination protocol is.’  
‘In the case of a catastrophic power failure and a terrorist attack, for example, HITs are deployed to stop any organisms from getting out,’ Jenner hesitated slightly, looking at nothing in particular. Tala didn’t stop looking at him and she could feel Shane’s eyes on her.  
‘What are HITs?’ Asked Rick angrily.  
‘Vi define,’ Is all Jenner said, seemingly exhausted.  
‘HITs fire pulsed thermo-baric fueled explosives consisting of two staged aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The pressure effect ignites the oxygen between five thousand and six thousand degrees and is useful where the greatest loss of life and damage destruction is desired,’ Vi explained clearly. Carol started crying and Tala weakened slightly in Shane’s arms. She heard his breath catch in his throat and he pressed his lips to the back of her head.  
‘It sets the air on fire. No pain. An end to sorrow, grief, regret. Everything,’ Jenner murmured. Tala’s face went blank and Jenner looked at her. ‘It's better this way,’ He said, desperate to make everyone see what he did.   
Tala just shook her head as everyone stared at the doctor. ‘This isn't how we are meant to die. Not here, because of him,’ She said quietly.   
‘So, what? You want to get shot in the head? You want to be in pain? You want to become one of them?’ Andrea asked incredulously. Tala looked over at her and blinked.   
‘I want the choice,’ She said clearly. ‘I don’t want someone else’s hopelessness to kill me like this.’  
‘This is a coward's way out,’ Shane insisted. ‘I want to die fighting. I don't see why he,’ He nodded towards Jenner. ‘Gets to take that choice away from us.’ Jenner sighed sadly and swung around in his chair.  
‘Open the damn door!’ Shouted Daryl and Shane moved from behind Tala. She looked around as he grabbed an axe and ran towards the door.  
‘Out of my way!’ He shouted and slammed the axe down onto the door. The other men joined him and they tried to break the door down. Tala sat back down on the floor, putting her head in her hands.  
‘I should have just left you alone. It would have been so much easier,’ She heard Jenner say.  
‘Easier for who?’ Exclaimed Lori, sounding horrified.  
‘All of you. You know what's out there. A short, brutal life and an agonising death,’ He stopped. ‘Your sister! What was her name?’ He continued.  
‘Amy,’ Answered Andrea.  
‘Amy. And what about your family?’ He said to Tala and she looked up, her eyes heavy.  
‘Mark, Ashley and Eliza,’ She said quietly.   
‘Amy. Mark. Ashley. Eliza. You know what this does. You've seen it. Is that really what you want for your wife? Your son?’ He directed to Rick. Tala looked back up at the timer and she bit her lip. The minuscule part of her brain that was saying  _ maybe this was a better way _ was slowly growing. How simple it could be to just end, now. Tala wasn’t religious but she believed in spirits. Hopefully she would go to the same place Eliza and Ashley were.  
‘I don't want this!’ Said Rick and Shane stopped, coming back to the group.  
‘Can't make a dent,’ He panted, leaning against a workstation as Tala stood back up, putting her hand on his back gently. He looked up at her and she sighed, shaking her head.  
‘Those doors are built to withstand rocket launchers,’ Explained Jenner. Daryl launched at him with another axe and T-Dog, Dale and Rick held him back.   
‘You do want this. You said so last night!’ Jenner said to Rick. ‘You knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead!’  
‘What, you really said that?’ Shane said incredulously and Rick looked at Lori. Tala rubbed her face.  
‘I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?’  
‘There is no hope, there never was!’ Interrupted Jenner.  
‘There's always hope. Maybe it won't be you, maybe not here, but somebody, somewhere!’ Replies Rick.  
‘What part of 'everything's gone' do you not understand?’ Said Andrea from the floor.  
‘Listen to your friend. She gets it. This is what takes us down. This is our... Extinction event,’ Jenner said calmly.  
‘No, no,’ Tala said. ‘We will get through this, we can rebuild.’ Her voice shook slightly and Andrea scoffed. Tala shook her head and slammed her fist against the workstation, her mind clashing just as much as the room was.  
‘This isn't right!’ Carol choked. ‘You can't just keep us here!’  
‘One tiny moment! A-a millisecond. No pain!’ Reassured Jenner.  
‘My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!’ Carol continued, her voice rising. Tala closed her eyes, anger and panic rising up in her like vomit even with the resignation in part of her brain.  
‘Wouldn't it be kinder, more compassionate to just, hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?’ Jenner asked. Shane grabbed his shotgun and loaded it. He walked towards him, shaking his head. Rick ran towards him.  
‘Shane! Shane!’ He shouted, but Shane shoved him out of the way.  
‘Get out of my way,’ Shane replied and walked over to Jenner. Tala watched his moves.  
‘Open that door, or I'm going to blow your head off, do you hear me?’ Shane shouted the last bit. Tala realised she was shaking and sighed.  
‘Brother, brother! This is not the way we do this, we'll never get out of here!’ Said Rick and Shane didn't look at him. He kept his eyes and gun trained on Jenner.  
‘Shane, you listen to him!’ Said Lori and Shane glanced at her with what looked like contempt.  
‘If he dies, we all –’ Started Rick, but the rest of what he said was drowned out by Shane’s scream. Tala’s stomach twisted and she bit her fingernails again nervously, her eyes glancing back to the clock before looking over at Carl and Sophia. Carl stared at Shane, at the shotgun, his eyes wide and Tala sighed gently.  
‘If he dies we all die!’ Repeated Rick and Shane turned the gun away from him and shot one of the computer screens, repeatedly. Rick grabbed the gun and tried to get it out of his grip. Tala came up to them both and pushed Rick away before turning back to Shane and slowly pushing down the gun and keeping her hand on his arm.  
‘Stop it,’ She said gently, looking up to him. ‘You’re scaring the kids, Shane.’ He looked between her and Carl before sighing and handing the gun to Rick forcefully.  
‘Are you done?’ Snarled Rick and Shane turned away.  
‘Yeah, I guess we all are,’ He replied. Rick walked away, giving the gun to T-Dog. Tala took Shane’s hand as they sat down on the floor together. Everyone was silent for a moment. Tala rested her head against Shane’s shoulder and held his hand tightly. He panted and seemed to relax slightly with Tala next to him.  
‘I think you’re lying,’ Stated Rick.  
‘What?’ Jenner looked up from the workstation.  
‘I think your lying,’ Rick continued. ‘About no hope. If that were true, you'd have bolted with the rest. Taken the easy way out. You didn't. You chose the hard path. Why?’ Rick pushed on.  
As the others talked, Tala looked at Shane. He didn’t look at Jenner, his eyes were trained on the timer behind him. She didn’t take her eyes off of him, taking in the tiny details that she had looked at almost every day for the past seven years. She didn’t know what life in America was like without him. He was her first proper friend, technically her first boss. His hair was stuck up in the same place it always had, and Tala had seen Shane trying to flatten it earlier as he always did, without fail. His nose was crooked from when he broke it doing high school football, which Tala never failed to call a stupid sport whenever it came up in conversation, although it hadn’t for a good while after the last time she had managed to break a beer glass after slamming it on the table and screaming something about rugby.  
Shane looked around at Tala and she pressed her forehead against his, tears welling up in her throat as she thought about all of the time they had spent together and how much more she wanted. She closed her eyes for a moment before smiling slightly. ‘I love you.’  
Shane put his arm around her and a tear slipped down his face. ‘I love you, too,’ He said, kissing Tala’s forehead. She sat there, crying, and didn’t let go of Shane’s hand, leaning against him as she tried to forget what was happening.  
‘I made a promise. To her,’ He said, pointing at the main screen. ‘My wife.’ Andrea's eyes went wide, and Tala sighed as Shane rubbed his thumb against her hand.  
‘Test subject 19 was your wife?’ Asked Lori.  
‘She begged me to keep going as long as I could. How could I say no?’ Daryl started trying to break down the door again. ‘She was dying-’ Bang. ‘Should've been me on that table-’ Clunk. ‘It wouldn't have mattered anyway, she was a loss to the world!’ Smash. 'Hell, she ran the place, I just worked here! In our field-’ Wack. ‘She was an Einstein! Me, I'm just, Edwin Jenner ... She could have done something about this. Not me,’  
"'An extraordinary one.'" Tala echoed his words from earlier, her voice slightly choked, and Jenner stared at her as she sat on the floor.  
‘Your wife didn't have a choice. You do. That's all we want. A choice. A chance,’ Said Rick.  
‘Let us keep trying as long as we can,’ Pleaded Lori, tearfully.  
‘Please,’ Begged Carol quietly.  
Jenner shook his head and took a deep breath. ‘I told you topside is locked down, I can't open those,’ He said quickly and walked over to a pin thing. Tala stood up quickly with Shane and everyone watched him in disbelief as he put in a code. The door opened.  
‘C'mon!’ Shouted Daryl and he ran out. The others follow him. Tala dragged Shane along with her as they ran out, grabbing their bags that were by the door as they passed. T-Dog pulled Jacqui with him but she pushed him away.  
‘No, I-I'm staying sweetie. I'm staying!’ She said.  
‘Come on, we've got four minutes let’s go!’ Shouted Glenn.  
‘That is insane!’ Argued T-Dog desperately.  
‘No, it is completely sane, for the first time in a long time. I'm not ending up like Jim and Amy. There's no time to argue. And no point, not if you want to get out. Just get out, please!’ She said and Shane went back to him.  
‘T-Dog, come on man. Come on!’ He said to him and they came up the ramp.  
‘Let's go, come on!’ Tala shouted and some of the others started running away.  
‘I'm staying, too,’ Said Andrea and the rest hold back, waiting for Dale. Shane’s hand was on Rick's shoulder and Tala was about to go back for Dale when he spoke.  
‘Andrea no! Just go, just go!’ He said to everyone and they ran. They sprinted up the stairs, flashlights lighting their way. Their bags bounced off Tala’s back and Shane lead the way up the stairs. They got into the foyer and T-Dog slammed at the door.  
‘It's locked!’ He shouted.  
‘Can you open it?’ Glenn called out  
‘No!’  
‘Damn, how are we going to get out?’ Shane shouted and some of the others ran over to the window. They slammed the axes at the glass, but they didn't do much damage.  
Shane got his shotgun again and shot at the window. It made a few scratches, but didn't smash the glass.  
‘Damn!’ He said and Carol hurried over to Rick.  
‘Rick, I have something that might help!’ She said, rooting around in her bag.  
‘Carol, I don't think a nail file is gonna do it,’ Shane said sarcastically and Carol chose to ignore him. Shane looked at Tala and she wiped her eyes, looking around desperately as she kept close to him.  
‘The first day back at camp, when I washed your uniform, I found this in your pocket,’ She held out a grenade and Shane and Tala stared at it.  
‘Pretty impressive nail file,’ Tala said and Shane looked impressed.  
‘God, you're a genius, Rick,’ Carol said and he took it.  
‘Let’s go!’ Shouted Glenn. Everyone dove onto the floor, and Tala stayed right next to Shane. Rick set it off, and he dived out of the way just in time. The glass shattered and they all scrambled out into the fresh air. Tala and Shane sprinted to the jeep just in time. Two people were suddenly sprinting across the small stretch of space between the facility and the vehicles.   
‘Get down! Get down now!’ Shane shouted and they both dove behind some sand bags. Shane and Tala ducked below the edge of the doors and Tala clenched her fists tightly. An explosion sounded as the building went up in flames and Tala peeked over at the windscreen. She gasped lightly, watching as the building collapsed in on itself. Shane looked at her before putting on his cap. Tala looked around at him slowly before she kissed him. His hand went to her cheek gently before she pulled away.  
‘C'mon. Let's go,’ He said gruffly and Tala nodded, starting the engine.


	8. Herd

#  Eight

##  **_H e r d_ **

_ /həːd/ _

_ Verb - With reference to a group of people or animals: move in a group. _

✦

__ Shane had to get rid of his Jeep. The fuel was quickly running out, faster than anyone expected and seemingly no one wanted to acknowledge it. It was strangely saddening. It looked like a melancholic dog, sat at the side of the road, abandoned. Tala didn’t know how they were going to get to Fort Benning. There was over a hundred miles to go, and they could barely get thirty under their belt.  
They sat in the RV with Dale, Glenn, T-Dog and Andrea. Shane cleaned his pistol as Tala stared out of the window, watching the trees trundle past. She wondered how many people might be out there. Nobody had said anything in a while, the sound of the RV clunking along and the faint rumbling of Daryl’s motorbike filling the vehicle.  
‘Looks complicated,’ Andrea stated, looking at Shane.  
‘The trick is getting all the pieces back together the same way,’ He answered and Tala looked at the weapon, spread out on the table. ‘I could clean yours, or show you how.’  
‘Remember when I had only just started out at the office and I was in training? You were watching and I actually dropped the gun?’ Tala said quietly and he laughed.  
‘Yeah, but then you showed off at target practice,’ He replied, looking through the gun bag for Andrea’s pistol and Tala smiled. ‘Oh yeah, this is a sweet piece.’ He aimed down the sight before looking back at Andrea.  
‘It was a gift, from my father,’ Andrea said and Shane nodded. ‘He gave it to me just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. Said “Two girls on their own should be able to defend themselves.”’   
‘Smart man, your father,’ Shane nodded. Tala looked at it for a moment before shaking her head slightly.   
‘I guess the advantage of being in America for the apocalypse is that there are plenty of guns,’ She said and Andrea frowned.  
‘What do you mean?’ She asked and Tala smiled.  
‘It isn’t easy to get a hold of guns in the UK,’ She explained and Andrea looked slightly shocked. ‘It’s usually only farmers that have them, or else incredibly nasty criminals.’ Shane pulled apart the small pistol and started explaining while Tala looked back out the window again as they slowed down.  
‘Oh, jeez. Oh no,’ Said Dale. The road was blocked.  
‘Ah, shit,’ Tala said and went to the front. Daryl came back toward them.  
‘See a way through?’ Dale asked and Daryl nodded. They proceeded slowly, weaving in and out of the dormant vehicles.  
‘Ah, maybe we should just go back. There's an interstate bypass -’ started Glenn.  
‘We can't spare the fuel,’ Interrupted Dale. They kept turning through the maze, looking out at the carnage. Suddenly, steam bellowed out in front of them. Dale groaned and stopped the camper. They got out and crowded around.  
‘I said it. Didn't I say it? A thousand times,’ Exclaimed Dale exasperatedly.  
‘Problem, Dale?’ Asked Rick and Tala clicked her tongue.  
‘Oh no. I mean, we're just standing around here wasting time for the shits and giggles,’ She said sarcastically and Rick turned to her and raised his eyebrows. He gave her a look that parents would give you if you were cheeky. ‘Oh, you were serious?’ Tala asked lightly. He tilted his head and looked away for a second, then looked back at her, confusion and hurt registering on his face, although the hurt only for a second. He took a breath and turned back to Dale. Tala scoffed quietly and Shane shook his head, trying to refrain from smiling.   
‘Shouldn’t speak to your boss like that,’ He said quietly and Tala raised her eyebrows.  
‘He’s not really my boss anymore,’ She pointed out and he shrugged, the smile still playing on his face.  
‘Okay, well that was dumb,’ Said Dale.  
‘Can’t we find a radiator hose or whatever we need here?’ Shane asked and Tala watched as Daryl rooted around in the trunk of a car. She started looking around the road, her eyes scanning the treeline as anxiety started creeping up her chest.  
‘There’s a whole bunch of stuff we can find,’ He pointed out. Some of the group murmured in agreement but Lori looked uncomfortable.  
‘Yeah. And we can siphon off fuel from these cars,’ Suggested T-Dog. Tala looked around again and wondered when someone drove down here last.  
‘Food? And water?’ Said Carol.  
‘This is a graveyard,’ Stated Lori and people glanced at each other.  
‘Technically, the whole world is now a graveyard,’ Tala said and Lori looked at her, shaking her head.  
‘I don't know how I feel about this,’ She said and they stood around for a moment.  
‘Come on y'all, let's look around and gather what we can,’ Shane instructed and Tala shrugged as everyone started moving. After a second, Lori did too. Shane and Tala walked over to a big van and he pushed the door up to reveal about twenty big barrels of water. Glenn turned from the car he was working on and stared as Tala laughed slightly, pleasantly surprised.   
‘Glen, were we short on water?’ Shane said, looking up at the stack. He unplugged a bottle and it poured all over him. He splashed some on Tala and she pushed him playfully.  
‘Hey man, save me some!’ Glenn said, hurrying his actions as he tried to unscrew a radiator hose.  
‘It’s like being baptised man,’ Shane said and he pulled Tala underneath the water. Even though it was a rather warm it felt refreshing. Tala smiled up at Shane and he caressed her cheek. She hesitated for a second before Dale caught her eye. He was lying on top of the camper, and the others were scrambling underneath cars. Tala looked around and saw Rick gesturing to get down. Tala grabbed Shane’s hand, manoeuvring underneath the van and Shane was quick behind her. Glenn crawled under a car and looked over to the other two, looking scared. Tala nodded to him, putting a finger to her lips and he looked the other way.   
They laid there silently as walkers shuffled past them. Tala watched their feet behind Shane and he put his arm around her. She closed her eyes, counting to one hundred in a bid to stay calm. She opened her eyes once she was done and Shane pulled her in tightly. Tala leaned into him, keeping herself away from the edges of the van. For a moment everything went quiet and everything seemed to slow down. Tala put her head to Shane’s shoulder. His arm went to the back of her head and he gently stroked her hair.   
Sophia’s cries tore through the air and Tala almost smacked her head off the underside of the van. They scrambled out, drawing their weapons and running towards the source.   
‘Those walkers are after my baby!’ Carol sobbed and Lori and Tala tried to console her. Tala held her hand tightly, looking around nervously. She rubbed Carol’s back as she cried and Dale clambered down from the top of the RV. Andrea stumbled out from the camper, her head and neck covered in blood.  
‘Are you bit?’ Shane asked and Andrea didn’t reply. Tala turned, raising her gun slightly and waited for her to reply.  
‘No. But shoot me anyway,’ She said resignedly, staring at Tala. Tala shook her head and lowered the gun. Shane went over to help T-Dog and Daryl, who had just appeared. Tala noticed that T-Dog was covered in blood, but she sat down beside Carol and pulled her into a hug as Shane went over to tend to him.  
‘My baby is gone!’ Carol wept onto Tala’s shoulder and Lori stroked her back consolingly.  
‘Rick is looking for her,’ She reassured. Tala looked around, down at the forest lining the highway and then back to the group. Shane was talking to Andrea and he was leaning against the camper. He was smirking and she was blushing. Tala tried not to scowl and looked away.  
‘You okay?’ Lori asked quietly. Tala nodded slowly, looking back to Carol.  
After around half an hour, Carol’s crying had subsided slightly. Tala went to stand up to get her water when suddenly Rick was in front of her. She stepped back in shock, blinking and he looked horrified.  
‘Rick? What's wrong?’ Tala asked and he looked at Carol.   
‘I told her to come back here!’ He groaned loudly and Carol looked up.  
‘Where's my baby? What have you done with my daughter?’ She asked looking around.  
‘We were at a river. I had to distract the walkers and I told her to take the way we had just came! I thought she was already here,’ He looked aghast as he explained what happened. Shane came over beside Tala, trying to stroke her hand with his thumb but she shoved her hands in her pockets.  
‘Come with me for a second?’ Shane asked and Tala hesitated. ‘Please?’ He added and she sighed, walking a little way from the group.   
‘What’s wrong?’ He looked at her and Tala looked away.  
‘I’m not going to be some rebound, okay?’ She said sharply and he blinked. ‘What happened at the CDC, when we were drunk, I don’t think that was a good idea.’  
‘It wasn’t just when we were drunk,’ Shane said quietly and Tala sighed, avoiding his eye.  
‘Look, you haven’t got over Lori, which is to be expected I suppose, I mean, I just,’ She started getting caught up and Shane didn’t say anything. ‘I don’t want to get hurt by you.’  
‘I would never,’ He started and Tala shook her head, her heart a hammer in her chest.   
‘Not intentionally, but surely it’s inevitable?’ She said and Shane stared at her.  
‘Did you mean what you said? At the CDC?’ He asked and Tala hesitated before nodding.  
‘Yeah, I really did,’ She swallowed. 'Anyway, we have bigger problems right now, don't you think?' She turned away, going over to the RV and sitting down, listening faintly to Carol arguing with Rick. If things had just been the slightest bit different Tala wouldn’t have had to stop herself from that relationship. She could spend her time with Shane the way she had always wanted to. Sure, it wasn’t quite the American Dream she may have had in mind, there were far too many walkers stood beside the white picket fence but it could have been something, at least. Shane needed time to process what had happened with Lori, to move on from her in a way that wouldn’t destroy Tala and if she had to wait then so be it, she supposed.  
Tala stared absently out of the window, her body feeling heavy before she saw a blood covered body leant against one of the cars. The blonde hair was matted and a bite mark stood out against the pale skin. Tala squinted before the breath got caught in her throat. She ran out of the RV and knelt down next to Eliza, tears pouring down her face.  
‘Baby, baby, what happened?’ Tala pulled her daughter into her arms and Eliza whimpered.   
‘Mammy,’ She said and Tala held her close to her chest.   
‘It’s okay, baby, I’m here. Where’s your sister?’ She asked and Eliza looked up at her.  
‘She’s with daddy. They’re both gone,’ She said clearly and Tala blinked. She felt like she had just been stabbed.   
‘No, no,’ Tala said. She woke with a start to find Rick shaking her gently. ‘Fuck,’ She said, moving away from him quickly and Rick pulled his hands away.  
‘I’m sorry,’ He said. ‘We’re worried about you. How are you feeling?’ Concern tinged in his voice and Tala sat up with a frown.  
‘Worried? I - I’m fine. We?’ She asked, looking towards the door.  
‘Lori, Shane. Glenn too. And the others,’ Rick said and Tala looked back to him. ‘You going to come back out to us?’  
‘Yeah, sorry, I don’t know what came over me,’ She nodded, rubbing her eyes.   
‘Tala, about earlier, when the radiator busted,’ Rick started again  
‘I’m sorry, I was being immature,’ Tala said softly and Rick gave her a smile.  
‘It’s okay, I asked a pretty stupid question,’ He said and Tala laughed slightly, walking out into the dusk. Andrea gave her a cold look that Tala ignored. She went over to a car, rummaging around the boot. Shane came up beside her and she pulled out a cooler.  
‘Do you think we’ll need this?’ Tala asked, handing it to him as she looked further. He took it and put it down on the road.  
‘Tala...’ He murmured, his hands sliding around her waist and she stopped.  
‘I— Shane, not right now.’  
‘No, now.’  
‘No. It isn't the time,’ Tala said, going back to the car.  
‘When will it be the time?’ He pressed and she shrugged. Shane sighed, scowling and Tala kept looking around.   
‘Wow, somebody decided to stock up on soup.’

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Shane drove into the back of a car and Andrea steered it into the median strip as Tala rubbed her head, pain coursing through it like a heartbeat, watching beside Dale. Carol came up to them and Tala gave her a small smile.  
‘Why aren’t we all out there looking? Why are we moving cars?’ She asked quietly, rubbing her arms.   
Dale turned to her. ‘Well, we gotta clear the way so that I can turn the RV round once it’s running. Now that we have fuel we can double back to a bypass that Glenn flagged on the map.’  
Carol frowned and turned to look at Shane. He adjusted his grip on his shotgun and Tala leant against the RV. ‘Going back is going to be much easier than trying to get through this mess,’ He said, looking over the array of cars strewn over the road.   
‘We’re not going anywhere until my daughter gets back,’ Carol said quietly, and Lori came over too.  
‘Of course,’ Tala said gently and Lori nodded. ‘We’ll find her,’  
‘That goes without saying,’ She said and Tala reached out, holding Carol’s hand.   
‘Rick and Daryl, they’re on it, okay? It’s just a matter of time,’ Shane said reassuringly and the rest of the group came over. Shane glanced at Tala and she gave him a small smile.   
‘Can’t be soon enough, I’m still freaked out over that herd, or whatever you’d call it,’ Andrea said and Glenn nodded while Carol walked away.  
‘Yeah, what was that? All of them marching along like that?’ He asked and Shane looked down. Tala rubbed her head again and gestured towards the water bottle Glenn was holding. He passed it to her and she took a couple of sips.   
‘A herd,’ Shane said thoughtfully. ‘That sounds about right. Now we’ve seen it, back on that night when the camp got attacked, just a wandering pack, only a few.’ He hesitated, looking between the four of them before clearing his throat. ‘Okay, come on people, still got a lot to do.’  
Shane went over to an abandoned Ford and got to work on it while Tala went over to Carol. She gave her a tight hug and they looked out at the woodlands.  
‘She’s going to be okay,’ Tala said quietly. Carol didn’t reply for a moment.  
‘How could he even leave her out there to begin with?’ Tala looked over to her and saw the tears in her eyes.  
‘It was probably his only option,’ She replied, keeping her voice gentle. Carol looked back at her and shook her head.  
‘She’s only a child. She’s probably so scared,’ She said and Tala hugged her again. Carol cried on her shoulder and she rub her back soothingly.  
‘Daryl is a great tracker. He’ll be able to find her,’ Tala murmured and Carol only sobbed. A radio sounded from across the road and the group walked over to it. Carol and Tala walked to the RV, watching from the sidelines.   
‘Is that a local signal?’ Glenn asked and Shane leant against the car.  
‘It’s got to be within fifty miles of here,’ Dale said, looking around. Tala realised that it was the same emergency broadcast that they had heard when they first left and when it went to repeat, Shane turned off the radio. Tala sighed, walking over to the rest of the group and everyone was seemingly disappointed.   
‘Asshole,’ Shane muttered and then looked around at everyone. ‘Okay, let’s get back to work.’ Everyone dispersed and Lori seemed to hesitate for a second before leaving too. Shane grabbed his bag and shoved it into the boot of the Ford.   
‘What are you doing?’ Tala said and he looked up quickly. He looked guilty.  
‘I’m … Nothing,’ He said hurriedly and Tala narrow her eyes.  
‘You’ve always been a bad liar.’  
‘No, I’m not.’  
‘You’d think you’d be better, considering the practice you’ve had,’ Tala said coolly, her gaze level. He shut the boot and sighed.  
‘First chance I get, I’m sneaking out of here,’ He said quietly and Tala almost faltered. She didn’t say anything for a moment, watching him as he stood with his hands on his hips, licking his lips nervously.  
‘So I was right.’  
‘You could come with me,’ He started, a tone in his voice Tala could barely recognise as desperation. ‘You should come with me. It would be better that way, don’t you think? We can protect each other.’  
‘We can’t do that, Shane,’ Tala was quiet, still looking at him steadily. He looked torn. Tala walked towards him and he licked his lips again. ‘Without us, this group won’t be able to survive. You know that.’ He looked around and he sighed slightly.  
‘Rick will be able to keep them safe,’ He said and Tala raised her eyebrows, snorting quietly.  
‘You don’t believe that. You’re only saying that to make yourself feel better.’  
‘If you’re so against Rick leading, why bother staying yourself?’ He almost snapped and Tala look back at the group. She looked at Carol, staring into the woods. She looked at Carl, showing Dale something. She looked at Glenn, trying to fix the RV and she smiled slightly when he dropped the screwdriver. The smile became sad and as she looked back to Shane it faded almost entirely.   
‘They’re good people. It’s not their fault they got stuck here when the world ended, any less so than it is ours. Rick isn’t leading outright and it would be best if having one leader is generally avoided. If we leave, then it can’t be avoided,’ She said quietly, and Shane looked out at the group with her. ‘If we stay with this group, not only will they have a greater chance of surviving but we will too. You know how bad it can get out there as much as anyone else. Don’t be stupid and end up out there alone. It’s suicide.’   
‘If you come with me, I won’t be alone,’ Shane looked back at Tala and she shook her head. She took his hand and sighed, looking at him for a moment.  
‘I can’t leave these people,’ She finally said.  
‘You can barely stand some of them,’ He scoffed.  
‘That doesn’t mean I’m going to let them die,’ She shot back, dropping his hand. Shane ran a hand through his hair and sucked the air between his teeth.  
‘Fine, I won’t leave. For now,’ He replied after a moment of silence. Tala gave him a small smile and she hauled his bag out of the car. He sighed and followed her as she walked back to the RV and put his bag back where it had been. He shook his head when Tala came back out and she gave him another smile.   
She went back over to Carol and stood next to her as she looked out towards the woodland. ‘It will be okay,’ She said quietly and Carol shook her head.  
‘It’s late. It’s going to be dark soon,’ She murmured and Tala rubbed her shoulders. She felt guilty as they stood there. She was too preoccupied with Shane, with something that could wait. Sophia was missing and Carol was in despair. Tala needed to make that her priority.   
‘They’ll find her,’ Andrea said from beside them and Tala nodded. Carol nodded too, after a moment, and Andrea left. Tala frowned after the blonde woman, watching as she walked over to Dale. Andrea talked to him about her gun heatedly and Shane stepped in.  
‘Everything cool?’ Shane asked and Dale seemed to sigh. They kept talking and Tala lost interest, standing with Carol until Andrea called her over.  
‘Yeah?’ She walked over to the RV and Andrea gestured to the men.  
‘They won’t let me have my gun,’ She said exasperatedly. Tala raised her eyebrows and looked towards Shane before shrugging and Shane seemed to roll his eyes.  
‘Like I said, I’m trained in handling a weapon like that,’ Shane said, looking at Andrea steadily.   
‘Are you going to ask Tala and Dale for theirs?’ Andrea asked indignantly and he shook his head with a small smile.  
‘Nah, they’re trained too,’ He said simply and Andrea looked at Tala.   
‘I’m not going to argue,’ She said. ‘Once we get someplace quieter, we can do a training session.’ Andrea scoffed and looked between them before walking away again.   
‘You Americans and your guns,’ Tala said quietly and Shane gave her a small chuckle. Dale watched Andrea before shaking his head and going back to the RV.


	9. Lost

#  Nine

##  **_L o s t_ **

_ /lɒst/ _

_ Adjective - Unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts. _

✦

‘Oh god, they’re back,’ Breathed Glenn, setting a crate of food down beside him. Tala hurried over to Carol and she whimpered.   
‘You didn’t find her?’ She murmured, fear in her eyes. Rick looked slightly desperate and Tala wrapped her arm around Carol.  
‘Her trail went cold,’ Rick explained. ‘We’ll pick it up again in the morning.’  
‘You can’t leave my daughter out there on her own, to spend the night alone in the woods,’ Carol said desperately and Tala could tell she was beginning to panic.  
‘Hunting in the dark is no good, we’d just be tripping up over ourselves, more people get lost,’ Daryl said gruffly but sensitively and Carol started to cry.  
‘But she’s twelve, she can’t be out there on her own! You didn’t find anything?’ She looked between the men and Tala held her gently.  
‘I know this is hard but I’m asking you not to panic. We know that she’s out there,’ Rick said and Tala tried not to get irked at his approach.   
‘And we tracked her for a while,’ Daryl said gently.   
‘We have to make this an organised effort,’ Rick said, raising his voice slightly so the rest of the group could hear. Tala kept her eyes on him as he tried desperately to keep things in his control. ‘Daryl knows the wood better than anybody, I’ve asked him to oversee things.’  
‘Is that blood?’ Carol interjected and Daryl looked down at his knee. The two men didn’t say anything for a moment and Carol started hyperventilating. Tala rubbed her arm gently.  
‘It won’t be hers, it’s okay,’ She murmured quietly by Carol’s shoulder. ‘It’s alright, take a deep breath.’  
‘We took down a walker,’ Rick stated and Carol seemed to sag slightly.  
‘Walker,’ She said breathlessly and Tala tried not to glare at Rick. Did he leave his tact in the hospital, along with his common sense?  
‘There was no sign it was anywhere near Sophia,’ He tried to reassure her, stepping closer and Carol went to turn away. Tala hugged her and she hugged her back, breathing deeply into Tala’s shoulder, tears pouring down her face.  
‘How can you know that?’ Andrea spoke up unhelpfully and Tala refrained from sighing. Rick and Daryl looked between each other uneasily and she frowned.  
‘They looked,’ She said simply and Rick looked up at her and nodded his head a fraction.   
‘They looked?’ Andrea shot back and Tala turned her head to her, still keeping Carol in her arms.   
‘They did what they had to do and cut it open,’ She tried not to sound too aggressive as Andrea, Glenn and Dale looked disgusted. Tala looked back at Rick and he nodded again. Carol sagged further and Tala took her to the guard rail at the side of the road. She sat down weakly and Tala crouched down beside her. ‘She’s going to be okay, Carol. Your girl’s tough, she’ll be okay.’  
Carol didn’t say anything for a moment, trying to control her breathing. Finally, she looked up towards Rick. ‘How could you just leave her out there to begin with?’ She said dangerously. ‘How could you just leave her?’  
‘Those two walkers were on us,’ Rick explained. ‘I had to draw them off, it was her best chance.’  
‘Sounds like he didn’t have a choice, Carol,’ Shane said gently.  
‘How was she supposed to know her way back on her own, she’s just a child,’ Carol said weakly. ‘She’s just a child!’ She gripped Tala’s hands and Tala looked up at Shane sadly.  
‘It was my only option,’ Rick stuttered, crouched down and looking up at Carol. ‘The only choice I could make.’ Lori stared at her husband and Shane leant against the guard rail too.   
‘Nobody doubts that,’ He said quietly and Rick looked between everyone desperately. Tala avoided his gaze, keeping her eyes on Shane.  
‘My little girl got left in the woods,’ Carol wept and nobody said anything. Carl started crying. Andrea came over to hug Carol too and Rick walked away. Tala kissed Carol’s hands and made her way over to Shane, pulling him away from everyone else.  
‘You really think we could leave? With everything that’s happening right now?’ She said quietly, looking up at him and he looked over at Carol. ‘You said it yourself, these people aren’t trained with guns. How can they help themselves?’  
‘Well, okay. Maybe when we find her daughter, it would be a better time,’ He said and Tala shook her head.  
‘We’d still be leaving them pretty helpless, Shane. They need you.’  
‘They’d do fine without me.’  
‘I wouldn’t.’  
Shane looked back to Tala and she chewed on her lip. ‘You know fine how to survive,’ He said shortly and Tala shook her head.  
‘It’s not just about that. I need you with me,’ Tala’s voice cracked and Shane frowned softly. Tala felt a lump rise in her throat and she looked away, smiling slightly. ‘I’m being pathetic.’  
‘No,’ Shane said and Tala cleared her throat quietly. She looked back at him, knowing full well that there were tears in her eyes and he began to reach out hesitantly. Shane kissed her gently and she wrapped her arms around him.  
‘Don’t leave me, not yet,’ Tala murmured against his lips and he nodded.  
‘I already said that I wouldn’t.’  
‘I didn’t necessarily believe you.’  
‘Of course you didn’t,’ He tried to pull back slightly but Tala held on, her hands in his hair. He sighed lightly but kept hugging her. ‘I’m not going to leave you,’ He whispered into her ear and she smiled.  
‘That’s all I wanted you to say,’ She replied quietly and he pulled away, shaking his head with a smile. Everyone started getting ready to go to bed and the two got into his new Ford, trying in vain to get comfortable.   
  


.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Tala woke with a start again, her heart in her throat and the sun in her eyes. Shane was still asleep and Tala rubbed her face as her pulse slowed. She got out of the car, closing the door gently and made her way over to the RV. Rick came out from the side and Tala jumped slightly.  
‘Hey, sorry,’ He said with a tired smile and she waved him down.  
‘It’s alright, wasn’t expecting you is all,’ She replied with her own smile. Tala checked no-one was around before taking his arm and pulling him closer. She dropped her voice, glancing at the woods. ‘You think you’re going to find her?’  
‘We have to,’ Rick replied quickly, looking saddened. Tala nodded, not replying, her eyes landing on the woodland again.   
‘It’s not your fault, you know,’ She said after a moment, her voice barely a whisper. This time Rick didn’t reply, and he too looked at the forest. He shook his head and walked away and Tala climbed up to where Dale was on the RV.   
‘Morning, Tala,’ He said with a smile. She sat beside his feet and stared down the highway.  
‘Good morning, Dale,’ He handed down the binoculars and Tala looked around. Nothing unusual, nothing scary. Just still. She still felt the gnawing anxiety in the pit of her stomach, something that she supposed was never going to go away, for safety’s sake. Letting your guard down could be what kills you.   
The rest of the group got up and about and Tala climbed down from the RV and stood beside Shane. He put a bag down beside her and held another. His thumb stroked the back of her hand again and she entwined her fingers between his. From the corner of her eye Tala saw him smile slightly and she allowed herself a small smile, too.   
Rick rolled out the arsenal Carl had found yesterday and stepped back. ‘Everyone takes a weapon.’  
‘These aren’t the kinds of weapons we need,’ Andrea said, looking down at the array disapprovingly. ‘What about the guns?’  
Lori stepped forward and picked up a hatchet. Andrea looked at the holster on Tala’s hip and Tala raised her eyebrows at the other woman, keeping her gaze steady.  
‘We’ve been over that,’ Shane called out from Tala’s side, holding the gun bag with his free hand. ‘Dale, Rick, Tala and I are carrying. Can’t have everybody popping off a round every time a tree rustles.’  
Andrea raised her eyebrows. ‘It’s not the trees I’m worried about.’  
Shane stopped leaning quite so casually against the RV and looked at her sharply. ‘Say someone fires at the wrong moment, herd happens to be passing by. See, then it’s game over for all of us. So you need to get over it,’ Andrea looked at him coldly and Tala stayed serious, her smirk incredibly hard to refrain. Andrea’s eyes raked over Tala. She just shook her head and Andrea rolled her eyes.  
‘The idea is to take the creek up, about five miles,’ Daryl started briefing everyone. Glenn admired his weapon with a smile and Shane slung the bag over his shoulder. ‘Turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are, she’ll be by the creek. That’s our only landmark.’  
‘Stay quiet and stay sharp, keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other,’ Rick cautioned. Shane quickly walked over to one of the cars and rummaged for a second before walking back over to Tala.  
‘Everybody assemble your packs,’ He instructed, flipping a water bottle.   
‘Dale, keep on those repairs,’ Rick said to the older man and Tala picked up the shooting bag at her feet. Shane handed her the water bottle he was holding as Rick and Dale continued to talk. They walked over to one of the cars and looked back, waiting for Rick. Tala sat in the open trunk and Shane slung his shotgun across his shoulder. He looked at Tala for a moment and she smiled.  
‘What is it?’ She asked, and he gave her that wicked smirk yet again.  
‘You look at home, with a hunting bag on your shoulder and a shotgun by your side,’ He said quietly and Tala’s smile turned sad.  
‘Hunting was my childhood, it put food on our table,’ She replied and Shane nodded.  
‘Which is why you were so good at target practice.’  
‘Well, that and my innate talent at being good at everything I do.’  
‘Oh? Including holding guns?’  
‘Actually, I’m very good at dropping them in front of hot guys who turn out to be my boss,’ Shane laughed and looked like he was about to kiss Tala again, but their attention was drawn to Andrea’s voice that seemed to carry tenfold whenever she spoke. Tala didn’t bother hiding her scowl as she spoke to Dale.  
‘No, Dale, you’re doing it for you,’ She said rudely, glaring at him. Shane tilted his head slightly as he watched, a frown forming on his face. ‘You need to stop. What do you think’s gonna happen? I’m going to stick it in my mouth and pull the trigger the moment you hand it to me?’   
‘I know you’re angry at me, that much is clear, but if I hadn’t done what I did, you’d be dead!’ Dale said quietly. Tala looked up at Shane and saw the concern in his face. She touched his arm, holding him back subtly.  
‘Jenner gave us an option and I chose to stay,’ Tala heard Andrea snap coldly.   
‘You chose suicide!’ Dale said exasperatedly.  
‘So what’s that to you? You barely know me,’ Andrea retorted.  
‘I know Amy’s death devastated you!’  
‘Keep her out of this. This is not about Amy, this is about us,’ Everyone looked at each other uncomfortably as Andrea continued to argue with Dale. ‘And if I decided that I have nothing left to live for, who the hell are you to tell me otherwise? To force my hand like that?’  
‘I saved your life,’ Dale’s voice was quiet and hurt. Tala looked down at the floor and swayed her legs nervously, a pang of sympathy in her chest for Dale.   
‘No, Dale, I saved yours. You forced that on me. I didn’t want your blood on my hands and that is the only reason I left that building,’ Andrea spat and Tala could only imagine Dale’s face. ‘What did you expect? What, that I have some kind of epiphany? Some life affirming catharsis?’  
‘Maybe just a little gratitude,’ Dale said meekly. Tala chewed on her lip and Shane looked over at her awkwardly.  
‘Gratitude? I wanted to die my way. Not torn apart by drooling freaks, that was my choice. You took that away from me, Dale.’  
‘But -’  
‘But you know better,’ She cut him off dismissively and Tala bit down on her lip so hard she drew blood. It stung. How grounding. ‘All I wanted after my sister died was to get out of this endless horrific nightmare we live everyday. I wasn’t hurting anyone else. You took my choice away, Dale, and you expect gratitude?’  
‘I don’t know what to say,’ Dale said somewhat pathetically.  
‘I’m not your little girl. I’m not your wife, and I’m sure as hell not your problem. That’s all there is to say,’ Andrea walked away, glaring at Tala as she walked past. Tala looked up at Shane, frowning.  
‘What’d I do?’ She asked, standing up from the car and he shrugged with a bemused look on his face. Tala picked up her gun and the group headed out into the forest. Shane walked by Tala’s side and they stuck towards the back.  
‘Shane, look,’ Carl said excitedly, ducking back and holding out a blade. Shane sighed and looked away from the boy. ‘Dad said that I could carry it, and mom said as long as I -’  
‘Keep it down,’ Shane said sternly and Tala was slightly taken aback. Carl looked hurt and Tala looked past him, up to Lori. ‘We’re looking for Sophia. We need to focus on the task.’ Shane looked back, and caught Tala’s eye as he turned. He looked guilty but it was quickly masked by concentration.  
Lori looked back too and slowed for Carl. ‘Gotta keep up, honey,’ She said and Carl muttered something. She looked towards Tala, concerned, and Tala glanced back at Shane.   
He came back towards her and Tala sighed. ‘Ah, I love how well we all get along,’ She murmured and he sighed.   
‘She’s mad at me for distancing myself, and not talking to her. Yet that’s what she asked me to do. How do I get it right?’ He said lowly, keeping his eyes on the surrounding woodland. Tala looked forward and shook her head.  
‘Women are strange creatures, Shane. I thought you knew this by now,’ He shook his head too and spat, and they continued in slow silence. The group came across a tent and everyone slowed. Rick gestured for people to get down.  
‘She could be in there,’ Shane murmured quietly.  
‘Could be a whole bunch of things in there,’ Daryl said, aiming down his crossbow. Shane and Tala walked forward with Rick and Daryl. They moved slowly and quietly, their weapons raised and senses heightened. Tala checked to the left of her and they looked around the small campsite.  
Daryl moved forward, pulling his dagger out and cautiously checking the tent. Shane and Rick stood by and Rick called Carol towards them. She hurried over, looking anxious.   
‘Call out softly, if she’s in there, yours should be the first voice she should hear,’ He instructed quietly and Carol leaned forward slightly.  
‘Sophia? Sweetie, are you in there? Sophia, it’s mommy. Sophia? We’re all here baby, it’s mommy,’ She tried and after no reply, Rick and Shane walked forward slowly. Tala put her arm around Carol’s shoulders and held onto her, holding her breath.  
Daryl unzipped the tent cautiously and opened it. He coughed, turning his head away before walking in. Rick and Shane looked in before coughing too.  
‘Daryl?’ Carol called out and he came back out after a moment.   
‘Ain’t her,’ He confirmed and Carol looked at Tala, disappointed. Tala gave her shoulders a squeeze.  
‘I’m sorry,’ She said gently and Carol nodded.   
‘What’s in there?’ Andrea asked, stepping forward as if it wasn’t obvious.   
‘Some guy,’ Daryl panted, looking back to Shane and Rick. ‘Did what Jenner said. Opted out. Ain’t that what he called it?’   
Church bells rang out and everyone looked up. Tala looked at Shane, frowning, and he seemed to be wearing the same face as her. He shrugged towards her, and suddenly they were all sprinting in the direction of the bells.  
‘What direction?’ Shane asked as they took a moment to get their bearings, looking around in the woods.   
‘I think that way,’ Rick pointed down the hill. ‘I’m pretty sure.’  
Shane climbed onto a fallen tree and looked around. ‘Damn, it’s hard to tell out here.’  
‘If we hear them then maybe Sophia does too,’ Carol said and Tala nodded.   
‘Someone’s ringing those bells, maybe calling others,’ Said Glenn.  
‘Maybe they’re signalling that they’ve found her,’ Andrea said hopefully.  
‘She could be ringing them herself,’ Rick said.  
‘Whatever they’re doing, we need to move, and quick,’ Tala said and everyone looked at each other for a moment. ‘Come on,’ Tala urged, breaking into a run again. Everyone sprinted towards where they thought the bells were coming from and soon enough they stumbled into a graveyard. An actual one, not Lori’s cars.  
‘That can’t be it,’ Shane frowned. ‘It’s got no steeple, no bells. Rick!’ He called out as Rick started sprinting across the grounds. They went up to the doors and Tala peered through a window. Rick put his fingers to his lips and Tala noticed that her mouth was dry. Shane glanced at her and Rick pushed open the door.   
Three walkers sat in the pews stared and looked at the group, groaning and growling. Tala stood in the doorway and Lori handed Rick her blade. Rick, Shane, and Daryl all walked forward, slamming the blades into the walkers repeatedly. Once they were down, they looked around. Tala walked forward and sat down on the back pew, staring towards the statue of Jesus’ crucifixion. She had never been religious, and she wasn’t sure whether she should start believing or not. What use would praying to God be when it was clear that he had never been around in the first place? If he did exist, he obviously didn’t care what happened to people one way or another. Tala looked at the corpse in the middle of the aisle and Daryl screamed out for Sophia.  
‘I’m telling you, it’s the wrong church,’ Shane directed to the group, his hand on Tala’s shoulder. He turned to Rick. ‘It’s got no steeple, Rick.’  
Tala kept her eyes on the dead walker and quietly recited the only prayer she knew in an accent that sounded like her father’s, stark and foreign against the Southern drawl that Tala had been surrounded by for seven years.  
‘Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.’  
‘You’re catholic?’ T-Dog asked and Tala turned, frowning.  
‘No. My parents were. My dad always said the prayer before we went hunting. My mother hated it. She used to say “For goodness sake, stop acting as though you’re fighting the English and get dinner,”. I didn’t realise it could ever have such meaning for this world but, hey,’ She replied quietly and Shane looked over at the statue of Jesus. The group went quiet for a moment before the bells started ringing loudly again. They all ran to the side of the church and Glen turned it off from the control panel.   
‘Timer! It’s on a timer,’ Daryl panted and Carol choked up.  
‘I think I’m going to go inside for a bit,’ She said and walked away. Andrea sank down beside the wall and Tala sat at the door, looking out at the graves. Shane and Lori stood a little bit ahead and after a moment Lori spoke.  
‘You really leaving?’ She asked and Tala stiffened, looking back to the pair. Shane didn’t look at her.  
‘Don’t you think it’s best for all of us?’ He asked quietly and Lori nodded, her hands ringing the bottom of her vest.  
‘I think it is,’ She said hurriedly and Tala’s mouth twitched distastefully. Shane grunted, looking straight ahead. ‘What made you decide?’ Tala didn’t move, watching Shane’s back and deciding what to do.  
‘I gotta back away. I’m just trying to be the good guy, Lori, even if you don’t see it. None of this was intended, I hope you know that,’ He said gruffly and Lori walked towards him. ‘Don’t matter as long as I said it.’  
‘You’re just going to disappear? You’re not even going to tell Rick?’  
‘He’ll only try to stop me, like Tala, and that’s on you. You tell him what you want, or tell him nothing at all. You’re his wife,’ Shane said, looking at Lori finally. Tala stood up and leant against the railing. Her heart was pounding. Her eyes and throat burnt with tears.  
‘And Carl?’ Lori seemed angry. ‘We dragged him into this.’  
‘I love Carl.’  
‘He thinks you hate him.’  
‘I’m trying to put some distance between us, I’m trying to make this easier, this ain’t easy on anyone,’ His voice cracked. ‘Least of all me. I’m the one that loses you.’ He glanced at the door and faltered when he noticed Tala. Lori looked too and she seemed to go white as a sheet. She walked past Tala and Tala didn’t acknowledge her as she gave her a nervous smile. She closed the door behind her and Tala didn’t say anything.  
Shane stared at Andrea around the corner and he looked back to Tala. Tala walked down the steps, the lump in her throat making it hard to breathe. He stepped towards her and she shook her head once, holding up her hand and turning right, towards the graves. She went towards one of the trees and sat down clumsily. Before Tala could even stop them, the tears were pouring down her face and she was sobbing.  
She was a pathetic mess. She told herself specifically not do to this. She told herself that he needed time to get over Lori. She told herself to wait, but she was weak and listened to what he said. Whatever he said didn’t matter because he didn’t mean it. He was in love, and love was a hard thing to get over. It was such an overused word. Too simple for something so powerful. It turned the smartest men into fools and brought the strongest to their knees.   
Tala wiped her face. This was more than that. Shane was her best friend. No one wanted to lose their best friend. Tala didn’t want to be alone, surrounded by strangers and people that didn’t like her.   
Tala thought of Lori and that constant look that was on her face. It looked like indignance and stupidity rolled into one and that she was playing it off as fear. Tala’s mind wandered to Andrea and her stupid face, too. She wanted to punch them both so hard. They were the kind of women Tala just naturally didn’t get along with. They constantly expected people to respect them, agree with them and get wrapped around their little fingers. They wanted things to go their way and then threw a tantrum when it didn't. They were the ones that would whisper snide comments when they saw your outfit or hair, even at twenty-nine.   
Tala sighed and leant her head against the trunk of the tree. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. She was just about there when footsteps approached her. She opened her eyes and scowled when she saw Shane standing above her, his shotgun slung across his shoulders.  
‘What?’ She snapped irritably.  
‘Whatever you may have heard, I can explain,’ He began, looking pained and Tala stood up, brushing herself off.  
‘I was there from the beginning, you just didn’t notice,’ She said sharply. ‘I was sat by the door, I was watching. I thought you knew I was there.’  
Shane didn’t say anything and Tala smiled bitterly. She made to walk off but he grabbed her hand.  
‘You could still come with me,’ He murmured, looking at her steadily. Tala hesitated.  
‘We’ve already talked about this,’ She said firmly and Shane sighed. ‘If Sophia wasn’t missing then, maybe, I would think about it. The reality is these people need all the help they can get. Leaving isn’t a option.’  
‘Andrea wants to come,’ He said quietly and Tala scowled again, pulling her hand free.  
‘Well, then, go with her,’ She started walking away.  
‘No,’ Shane said simply and Tala didn't stop. He came after her quickly and took her by the shoulders. ‘Please, Tala, I don’t want to leave you.’  
‘Then don’t go,’ Tala looked at him steadily, the irritation igniting into anger quickly as her voice threatened to crack. Shane didn’t break eye contact and didn’t say anything. ‘And if you are going to go, then get it over with. I’m not coming and you obviously have a death wish if you’re so adamant about trying to go it alone. Take Andrea, I’m sure she’d appreciate the suicide trip.’  
Tala walked away, her hands shaking and she went back inside the church. She walked over to Rick and folded her arms as Carol prayed to her Lord. Rick looked at Tala and she just shook her head, her face a show of disgust. The idea of leaving, not only the group but this world was what Tala knew she wanted. Deep down, underneath the adrenaline and fight or flight instinct of surviving to the last moment, she really just wanted to be with her daughter's again. This front, this facade of strength, it was becoming too much for Tala to keep from getting flimsy. If only, if _only_ it could be so easy as letting go. She yearned for it, the deep emptiness in her chest cried out for it, but somehow Tala stayed anchored to the earth, becoming more bitter and angry by the day.  
‘You ready to go?’ Rick said quietly after ten minutes or so and Tala sighed, snapping back to reality before walking back out of the church. They headed over to the treeline and he sighed, too.  
‘What’s your plan?’ Tala asked and he didn’t reply for a moment.  
‘I’m not entirely sure. We can’t leave Sophia out for another night.’  
‘We can keep looking, Daryl and I can track and the rest of you can keep an eye out?’ Tala suggested and Rick shrugged slightly.  
‘It seems like that’s the only plan we have,’ He said quietly and Shane came over to them, a forced smile on his face.  
‘Gotta move here, man. These people are spent,’ He said, glancing at Tala. ‘There’s only so many hours of daylight left and we’ve still got a long way back.’  
‘I can’t stop yet,’ Rick murmured and Shane looked at him incredulously.   
‘We still got a lot of ground to cover, whole other side of the creek,’ Shane kept going. ‘We can search that on the way back.’  
‘She would have heard those church bells, she could be nearby,’ Rick argued gruffly and Shane shook his head.  
‘She could be a lot of things.’  
‘I can’t go back. Her being out there, it’s my fault.’  
Shane sighed and looked at Tala before snorting. ‘That’s great. Now I catch you doubting yourself, huh?’  
‘What about you, do you doubt me?’ Rick asked lowly and Shane looked at him, a smile playing on his face.  
‘Hey, we can assign all kinds of blame,’ He started but Rick leaned forward.  
‘This means something, finding her.’  
‘I know, man.’  
‘It will be the miracle we need, we can’t give up.’  
Shane sighed and smiled, looking between Tala and Rick. Both men looked at Tala and she shrugged. She kept her face blank and looked at the tree line again. ‘I’m going to keep looking whether or not the rest of the group come.’  
After a moment, that same smile on his face, Shane patted Rick’s shoulders and walked over to the rest of the group quickly. Tala looked at Rick and he sighed, shaking his head. Shane cleared his throat and ran his hands through his hair and Tala crossed her arms as she and Rick watched him address the group.  
‘Y’all gotta follow the creek bed back,’ He started. ‘Daryl, you’re in charge. Me and Rick, we’re just gonna hang back. Search this area another hour or so, be thorough.’ He nodded and Rick stood beside his old partner.  
‘Tala? What about you?’ Carol called out quietly and Tala walked up beside Shane, too.   
‘I’ll keep looking for your little girl, Carol,’ She replied with a small smile and Carol came up and hugged Tala. ‘We’ll find her,’ Tala whispered into her ear and Carol gave her a squeeze.   
‘God bless you,’ She said thickly and went back to the others.  
‘We’ll catch up,’ Shane said to Daryl and Carl stepped forward.  
‘I want to stay too,’ He piped up and Shane looked away, glancing at Tala. ‘I’m her friend.’  
Rick and Shane looked at each other again and Lori stepped forward after a moment. ‘Just be careful, okay?’  
‘I will,’ Carl said simply.  
‘When did you start growing up?’ She kissed her son on the head and Tala smiled slightly. Rick walked forward to talk to his family and Shane turned to Tala.  
‘Don’t say anything you’re going to end up regretting. If you have to leave then you have to leave. That’s your choice, and if you’ve already made it there’s no use in me trying to put up a fight. You just better keep yourself safe and come back to me one day,’ Tala said quietly before he could speak. He didn’t say anything, only nodded shortly, and Rick and Carl came back over.   
‘Can you give me a minute?’ Rick asked Shane and he nodded, ruffling Carl’s hair. The two men walk a little away and Tala pretended to measure up Carl.  
‘Your mum’s right, you are growing up. You’re so tall now. Are you sure you’re not a giant?’ She asked him, crouching down and looking up at him. He smiled, shaking his head.  
‘Um, I’m pretty sure I’m not a giant, Tala,’ He said, laughing.  
‘It looks like it from this angle. Did you eat something? Can I eat it? Did you get magic beans?’ Tala asked excitedly and he laughed more.  
‘No! I don’t have magic beans!’  
‘Oh,’ Tala said, disappointed kneeling on the floor. ‘I really wanted some magic beans. I’ve never tried them before.’   
‘Me neither,’ Carl said and looked towards the woods. ‘Maybe we’ll find some in the forest someday.’  
‘I can’t wait,’ Tala said, standing up again and giving him a hug as the men came back from the church. ‘Let’s go find Sophia, buddy.’  
They walked into the forest and after about thirty minutes Tala felt another headache coming on. Rick held up his hands and they stopped. Footsteps could be heard and through the foliage Tala saw antlers. A stag deer was up ahead and Shane lowered his gun. The three of them stared and smiled in wonder and Carl stepped forward slowly. Tala stood beside Shane and whispered in his ear.   
‘You ever see a deer before?’   
‘Naw,’ He breathed back with a smile on his face. The deer turned and looked straight at them and Tala smiled too. Shane took her hand and Tala didn’t let go, a feeling of lightness that she had desperately missed. Everything was so serene and calm. It was beautiful.  
A gunshot rang out and suddenly the deer and Carl had fallen to the ground. Rick ran forward, screaming and Shane raised his gun, scanning the surroundings. Whatever good feelings Tala had were instantly drowned by fear as she pushed forward and found an overweight man in hunting camouflage. She grabbed him and pulled him up, cursing at herself for letting her guard slip.  
‘What the fuck have you done?’ She exclaimed and he looked at her in confusion before she pointed over to where Rick was curled over his son. ‘You shot a little boy!’   
Realisation dawned over the mans face and guilt washed over it instantly. ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry.’   
Tala turned and looked back at Rick, breathing heavily. She looked at the fat man and swung her fist into his fleshy jaw. He jerked back on to the ground, howling with pain and Tala grimaced, about to do it again when Shane came over.  
‘Where have you come from?’ He spat at the man, coming over and the man looked up at him.  
‘My people, they’re on a farm. We could help you, we have a, a doctor,’ He stuttered in fear and Shane looked at Tala.   
‘Quick, take him to them, where do we go?’ She asked and the man scrambled up.  
‘It’s not far, it’s this way,’ He said and Tala went back to Rick. He was tying his belt around Carl’s waist as a makeshift tourniquet.   
‘Rick, he can help us,’ Tala said gently and he looked up at her, astounded. ‘Pick him up, let’s go.’  
Rick gently lifted Carl up and started running towards where the man was. Shane grabbed him by the shoulder roughly and started running too.  
‘Come on, you son of a bitch,’ He growled and soon all Tala could hear was the rush of blood in her ears and the cracking of twigs beneath their feet. They reached an open field and the fat man panted.  
‘That’s our's, the farmhouse is straight ahead. Talk to Hershel, Hershel, he’ll help your boy!’  
Tala ran forwards to Rick and ran past. ‘I’ll go ahead and tell them!’ She called out and Rick nodded. Tala sprinted through the fields, launching over a fence with barely a second lost. She kept running until she saw an old style farmhouse come into view and she pushed through. An old man came out onto the porch and Tala slowed down across the courtyard.  
‘One of yours,’ She panted heavily, bent over. ‘Shot one of … ours.’ She spluttered and the old man looked out into the field.  
‘Who are you?’ He said quietly.  
‘Please, he’s just a boy,’ Tala said desperately, her breathing back under control as adrenaline coursed through her body. Tears pricked at her eyes and she shook her head. ‘He could die. Your man said he could help, please.’ 


	10. Wound

#  Ten

##  **_W o u n d_ **

_ /wuːnd/ _

_ Noun - An injury to living tissue caused by a cut, blow, or other impact, typically one in which the skin is cut or broken. _

✦

The old man nodded curtly and Tala sat on the steps, her lungs and legs on fire. Rick came running across the field and Tala sagged slightly when she saw Carl. He looked like a porcelain doll. Hershel, the old man, stepped forward but looked back at Tala.  
‘Is he bit?’ He asked solemnly.  
‘Just shot,’ Tala replied, shaking her head, her heart in her throat. The old man didn’t say anything and when Rick arrived he took him straight through into his house.  
‘Patricia,’ He called and Tala trailed behind Rick. ‘I need my full kit. Maggie, painkillers, coagulants, grab everything.’   
They walked into a bedroom and Hershel took off the covers. Rick laid Carl down gently.  
‘Is he alive?’ He stuttered and Tala watched from the side anxiously, biting on her fingernails.  
‘Pillowcase, quick,’ Hershel instructed and Tala quickly stripped one of the pillows, her heart thundering in her throat.  
‘Is he alive?’ Rick repeated as Hershel untied the tourniquet.   
‘Fold it and make a pad,’ The doctor instructed Tala. ‘Put pressure on the wound.’   
She pressed down and Rick stood beside her, his face white as a sheet. The rest of Hershel’s people moved quickly and seemed to know what they were doing. Hershel grabbed a stethoscope and checked Carl’s pulse.  
‘I’ve got a heartbeat,’ He said and Rick took a shaky breath.  
‘I’ve got it, step back,’ A woman said, taking the pillow case from Tala’s hand. Tala went to the side of the room and noticed that her hands were covered in blood.  
‘Maggie, IV,’ Hershel barked and Maggie gently touched Rick’s arm.  
‘We need some space,’ She told him and he looked around.  
‘Your name?’ Hershel asked.  
‘Rick, Rick, I’m … I’m Rick.’   
‘Rick, we’re going to do everything we can, okay?’ Hershel said softly. ‘You need to give us some room.’   
Rick looked apprehensive but Tala gently pulled him towards her and they went back out to the porch as Shane arrived. Tala gave Rick a tight hug and she felt him sag. When they pulled apart, Rick swiped his hand across his forehead and managed to get blood everywhere.  
‘He’s alive?’ The fat man asked. ‘He’s still alive?’  
They didn’t answer him, the two of them looking at Shane. He rifled through his bag and brought out a handkerchief.   
‘It’s okay,’ He whispered, wiping the blood away. ‘Hey, okay, I’ll take it from you. Where is he?’   
Rick started crying, leading Shane back to Carl and Tala leant against the wooden column unsteadily. She stared at the fat man and he looked back at her guiltily.   
‘I’m sorry,’ He said quietly and Tala nodded.  
‘I know, I know that,’ She replied, her voice cracking slightly.  
‘He your boy?’ The fat man’s eyes squinted up at her and she shook her head.  
‘No, no, friend,’ Tala managed to say and she went back inside, unable to be alone with him because she knew she would start crying. All they had been doing was looking for a little girl. How did it get to this?  
‘You know his blood type?’ Hershel said to Rick.  
‘A positive, it’s the same as mine,’ He stuttered and Hershel looked up at him.  
‘That’s fortunate, don’t wander far, I’m going to need you,’ He said, continuing to press down on the wound. He looked up at the fat man. ‘What happened?’  
‘I was tracking a buck,’ The fat man said weakly. ‘Bullet went through it, went clean through.’  
‘The deer slowed the bullet down,’ Hershel explained and Tala looked at Carl’s face, her heart lurching. He was so pale he looked dead. ‘It certainly saved his life. It did not go through clean, it broke up into pieces. I can get the bullet fragments out. I’m counting six.’  
The fat man walked over to the older women and looked like he was about to cry. ‘I never saw him, not until he was on the ground.’   
‘Lori doesn’t know,’ Rick finally said, beginning to cry again. ‘My wife doesn’t know. My wife doesn’t know!’ He sobbed and Shane consoled him, wrapping his arm around his shoulder. They left the bedroom and sat in the family’s living room. Shane sat in the middle of the sofa, Rick and Tala on either side of him. Tala watched the grandfather clock and no one said anything for a long time.  
‘Why did he come with us? He should have stayed with Lori,’ Rick said hoarsely. Shane and Tala shook their heads.  
‘Don’t you start that,’ Shane’s voice cracked. ‘You’ll never get that monkey off your back.’  
‘Little girl goes missing, you look for her, simple,’ Rick paused and Tala got up, leaning against the window sill, looking out at the golden fields. ‘You said call it, head back. Carl got shot because I wouldn’t cut back. Man, it should be me in there.’   
Tala turned, looking at the two men, a frown on her face. Shane rubbed his face and Tala sank to the floor, shaking her head. Shane gave out a desperate chuckle.   
‘You’ve been there partner, but you pulled through, and so will he,’ He said quietly, looking straight forward. Rick frowned.  
‘Is that why I got out of that hospital? Found my family? For some kind of sick joke?’ He said, glowering and Shane shushed him.   
‘You stop it. Just stop.’  
‘Little girl goes missing. You look for her, it’s plain and simple,’ Rick repeated, the guilt tearing through him as he cried. Maggie opened the door and called for him and he launched up immediately. Shane and Tala followed cautiously into the room where Carl was crying loudly.   
‘You two,’ Hershel looked to Shane and Tala. ‘Hold him down.’  
They walked forward and Tala gently took Carl’s arm and kept it to the bed as Shane lay his hand over his chest.  
‘Shh, hey buddy it’s okay,’ Tala whispered and Shane said similar things. They kept talking to him lowly, trying to calm him down. Carl’s hand scraped along Shane’s side and Tala held it in hers gently. Hershel dug into the wound and Carl screamed loudly. Hershel dug deeper and it sounded like Carl’s throat was going to give out, the little boy clutching Tala’s hand tightly.  
‘Stop, you’re killing him!’ Rick roared and Tala found tears were pouring down her face. She didn’t cry out, she just took a deep breath and kept Carl’s arm down. Shane looked at her, panicking and Tala shook her head the tiniest of fractions. Stay calm, do the job, worry later.   
‘Rick, do you want him to live?’ Hershel asked simply and Carl tried to writhe on the bed. Tala kept whispering to him.  
‘You’re such a brave boy, Carl, you’re so strong. The pain’s almost over, you’re almost there, buddy,’ She said and he looked around at her, his face as white as paper. Tala tried to give him a reassuring smile as he cried and kept holding her hand.  
‘He needs blood,’ Maggie said and Shane snapped his head towards her.  
‘Do it now!’ He shouted and Tala stroked Carl’s hair gently as he cried. He went quiet, his eyes rolling back and it took a moment for Tala to realise that he had fainted. Rick looked over from getting his blood taken and panicked.  
‘Wait, wait, wait,’ Shane said, looking between Carl and Hershel.  
‘He’s just passed out,’ Hershel said gently and Tala kept stroking his hair. Hershel pulled a piece of metal from Carl’s body and Tala stared at it as Shane let up. ‘One down, five to go.’  
Tala let go of Carl’s hand and grabbed Shane’s and he held it tightly, their eyes on the wound. Hershel’s people gave him a blood transfusion with Rick’s blood and Hershel took his blood pressure. They went over to the edge of the room and watched.  
‘The pressure’s stable,’ He reassured Rick and Rick shook his head.   
‘Lori needs to be here, she doesn’t even know what’s going on. I need to find her, to bring her back,’ Rick said, looking pale. Tala sat at Shane’s feet as he leaned against a fireplace and she gripped his hand tightly.  
‘You can’t do that,’ Hershel tried to say gently.  
‘She’s his mother!’ Rick spat back. ‘She needs to know what’s happened, her son is lying here, shot!’  
‘And he’s going to need more blood,’ Hershel sounded solemn and Tala rubbed her eyes, her persistent headache coming back. ‘He can’t go more than fifty feet from this bed.’ He directed to Shane and Tala and they nodded. Rick tried to stand and he stumbled, weak from the blood loss. Shane and Tala went towards him and Shane took his shoulder.  
‘Trust me, Rick. Please, trust me when I tell you that you need to stay with Carl,’ Tala whispered and he stared at her, his eyes full of tears and his face as pale as his son’s. ‘You can’t leave this farm.’  
‘Come on,’ Shane said gently and Rick nodded eventually.  
‘I’m alright,’ He said quietly and walked away. Shane looked at Tala somewhat helplessly and Tala stayed in the room as he left.   
‘Is it alright if I stay?’ Tala asked quietly and Hershel nodded.  
‘Of course. He won’t wake up for the time being but you can stay,’ He said gently and she smiled gratefully. ‘What did you say your name was?’  
‘Oh, I’m Tala. I worked with Rick, and Shane,’ She said, stroking Carl’s hair. She heard Shane talking to Rick lowly and a tear slipped down her face. Hershel left and talked to Rick about Carl’s condition. Tala gave Carl a quick kiss on the cheek and left, realising she couldn’t handle being alone with him either, the scene far too familiar.  
‘You need a respirator,’ Otis said as Tala walked out. Shane took her hand and she watched warily as the others talked. ‘What else?’  
‘The tube that goes with it, extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures,’ Hershel listed. Rick looked between the two.  
‘If you had all that, you could save him?’ He asked hoarsely.   
‘If I had all that, I could try,’ Hershel replied gently.  
‘Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago,’ The fat man said and Tala tried not to glare at him before his face dawned with realisation. ‘The high school.’  
‘That’s what I was thinking. They set up a FEMA shelter there. They would have everything we’d need,’ Hershel said, nodding.  
‘The place was overrun the last time I saw it, maybe it’s better now,’ The other man pointed out. What was his name again?  
‘I said leave the rest to me. Is it too late to take that back?’ Shane said with a vague smile.  
‘I’d hate you going alone,’ Rick said and Tala shook her head.  
‘You can’t do it alone, I’ll -’ She tried to volunteer herself but Shane gave her a look and she faltered, still shaking her head. He squeezed her hand and looked back to Hershel.  
‘Come on, doc, why don’t you do me a list,’ Shane said to the doctor as Tala rubbed her head. ‘Draw me a map.’   
‘You won’t need a map, I’ll take you there,’ The fat man said determinedly and Tala chewed on her lip. ‘It’s only five miles.’  
‘Otis, no,’ Said the older woman from the doorway, looking concerned. Ah. Otis.   
‘Honey, we don’t have time for guesswork and I’m responsible. I ain’t gon’ sit here while this fella takes this on alone,’ He said across the room. ‘I’ll be alright.’  
‘Are you sure about this?’ Shane asked.  
‘You even know what any of the stuff he’s talking about looks like?’ Otis asked.  
‘Coming to date, no,’ Shane said and Tala kept biting her lip nervously.  
‘I was a volunteer EMT, I do. Now we could talk about this till next Sunday, or we could just go do it real quick,’ Otis continued.  
‘I’ll take real quick,’ Shane said gruffly and Tala sighed. He turned to her and gave her a reassuring smile but she just shook her head.  
‘I should thank you,’ Rick said to Otis quietly.  
‘Wait till that boy of yours is up and about, then we’ll talk,’ Otis dismissed him. ‘I’ll gather some things.’  
Maggie stepped forward to Rick as Shane stroked the back of Tala’s hand. ‘Where is she? Your wife?’  
Rick gave her the directions back to the highway and Otis came back with some rucksacks. They all walked out of the house and Tala felt anxiety rising up through her.  
‘Just get what you need and get out of there,’ Rick said and Shane nodded. He went over to Otis and handed him his gun while Shane hugged Tala tightly.  
‘Whatever you do, come back,’ She said thickly and he chuckled slightly.  
‘Don’t you worry about that. You take care of things here, okay?’ He said, kissing the top of her head and Tala nodded. He gave her another hug and before he could turn to leave Tala went on her tiptoes and kissed him, impulsively and instinctively. He kissed her back gently before hitting the back of the truck and getting in the passenger seat. He waved slightly, a small smile on his face before they drove off and Tala forced a smile to her face too. Tala watched Maggie bring out a horse and she hurried over.  
‘I’ll come with you,’ She said and Maggie looked down at her from the horse.  
‘You know how to ride?’ She asked in her Southern drawl and Tala nodded.  
‘Born and raised on a horse,’ Tala looked back at the house and bit her lip. ‘I’ll go tell Rick that I’m leaving.’  
‘Good, I’ll get one of the animals ready,’ Maggie said and quickly turned her horse back the way she had come. Tala jogged back to the house and found Rick sat beside Carl, his head hanging down and his hands behind his neck. Tala knocked on the door and he turned slowly before nodding. Tala hugged him again and he cried on her shoulder softly. She gently patted his back before pulling away slightly, crouched down beside him.   
‘I’m going with Maggie to get Lori,’ She said quietly. ‘I’ll be able to take her in the right direction and bring her back quickly.’  
‘Thank you,’ Rick said thickly and Tala put her hand to his cheek and looked up at him, shaking her head slightly.  
‘Don’t leave his side, Rick,’ She said and Rick nodded.  
‘I know,’ Was all he said. Tala went back outside, swallowing back the next round of tears to find Maggie standing with another horse. They quickly mounted and Tala went ahead slightly, going back towards the highway through the trees. She heard screams that sounded like they were coming from a woman and her heart dropped. Was that Carol? Lori? Andrea? They sounded too deep to be Sophia, but Tala still held out hope. Maggie lifted her baseball bat as they came towards figures on the ground, a walker on top of somebody. Maggie swung the bat at the walker and Andrea sat up, gasping.   
‘Lori?’ Tala called out and Lori ran up to them, the others following. Tala went to continue before shaking her head and putting her hand over her mouth, tears pouring down her face. Everyone stared at them before Maggie looked over at Lori.  
‘Rick sent us, you’ve got to come now,’ She said urgently and Lori looked aghast.  
‘What?’ She said breathlessly, looking between Maggie and Tala.  
‘There’s been an accident,’ Maggie said and Tala took a breath.  
‘Carl’s been shot,’ She spat out and Lori’s face paled. Tala gestured for her to get on the horse with her and Lori hurried over, her arms wrapping around Tala’s torso. She wiped her face as Maggie gave the others directions on how to get to the farm from the road and soon enough they were cantering back through the forest.   
‘How did it happen?’ Lori asked from behind Tala and Tala shook her head, following Maggie.   
‘We saw a deer, we were stopped and looking at it and one of theirs,’ She nodded towards Maggie. ‘Shot it down. The bullet went through the deer and hit Carl in the side. We took him back to the farm, they have a doctor there. He’s working on Carl as much as he can but, but, Shane’s gone to a FEMA shelter with the guy that shot him, they’re getting the supplies Hershel needs to operate.’  
‘Operate?’ Lori murmured and Tala sniffed as they came into one of the fields.  
‘It was an accident, a dumb accident,’ She said thickly and Lori didn’t reply. They came up to the house quickly and Rick ran down the steps as Lori got off the horse. He sobbed and they hugged tightly. Tala got down as Rick led his wife into the house and Tala turned away, staring down the driveway and wiping her face. Maggie took the reigns from her gently, nodding to her and Tala handed them to her weakly. She patted the horse softly before Maggie took it away and Tala sat down on the porch steps. She fell asleep in the heat and by the time she woke up it was a little after dusk. She went back into the house and stood by the doorway of the bedroom Carl was in, staring at him as he lay asleep on the bed.  
‘We can’t wait much longer,’ Hershel said, continuing from what he had been talking about and Rick moved forward, slightly unsteady.  
‘Take some more, whatever he needs and then I’m going to go,’ He said and Tala dragged her eyes over to him, shaking her head.  
‘Go? Go where?’ Lori said from the edge of the room and Rick turned to her, avoiding Tala’s eye.  
‘He said five miles, they should be back by now,’ He said. ‘Something’s gone wrong.’  
Tala’s stomach twisted uncomfortably and she rubbed her face. It had been a couple of hours at least since Shane and Otis had left for the shelter. She bit on her fingernails as Lori stared at her husband.  
‘Are you insane? You’re not going after them,’ She said quietly.  
‘Rick listen to your wife,’ Hershel said from beside Carl and Lori looked over at Tala disbelievingly.  
‘They got into trouble -’ Rick started.  
‘You’re in no condition to do anything about it,’ Hershel said firmly. ‘You’ve given too much blood, you’re barely on your feet. You wouldn’t make it across the yard.’  
‘If something happened, I have to go,’ Rick said desperately.  
‘No, you’re place is here,’ Lori said, shooting her husband a dangerous look. ‘If Shane said he’ll be back, he’ll be back. He’s like you that way.’  
‘I can’t just sit here.’  
‘That’s exactly what you do!’ Lori shouted, staring at Rick. ‘If you need to pray, or cry, or tell God he’s cruel, you go right ahead but you’re not leaving, Rick. Carl needs you here and I can’t do this by myself, not this one, I can’t, I can’t.’  
Rick stared at Lori as Hershel excused himself and Tala sighed from the doorway before shaking her head and looking at Rick.  
‘I’m telling you, Rick,’ She murmured, her eyes flickering to Carl. ‘Don’t do what I did. Be there with him, until the end, however that may play out.’  
Lori nodded, looking over at Tala before she frowned gently. ‘I don’t think I ever told you that I’m truly sorry about Ashley and Eliza,’ She said gently and Tala shook her head.  
‘Don’t worry about it,’ She said with the smallest of smiles.  
‘What actually happened?’ Rick asked and Tala hesitated, looking back to Carl.   
‘I’ll tell you another time,’ She said before looking back up at Rick. ‘You just make sure it doesn’t happen to him.’   
Rick nodded curtly as Tala left, walking back onto the porch and sighing deeply. Headlights bumped down the road towards her and her heart lurched. Was Shane finally back? Carol’s Chevrolet parked at the house and Glenn and T-Dog stepped out. Tala went and hugged Glenn, relieved to see him, although mildly disappointed and worried that it still wasn’t Shane. T-Dog was wrapped in a blanket and she helped him up to the house gently.  
‘You close the gate after you drove in?’ Maggie asked from a chair in the porch.  
‘Uh, yeah, we um, we did the latch and everything,’ Glenn stuttered and Maggie leant forward in her chair. ‘Well, nice to see you again. We met before, briefly.’  
‘Look, we came to help,’ T-Dog interjected, saving Glenn before he could say anything he would regret. ‘Anything we can do?’  
Maggie stepped forward and looked down at the bandage on T-Dog’s arm. He noticed and shook his head.   
‘It’s not a bite,’ He explained. ‘I cut myself pretty bad though.’  
‘We’ll have it looked at,’ Maggie said and lead them back into the house.  
‘We have some painkillers, and antibiotics,’ Glenn opened his backpack and Tala frowned.  
‘Where did you find them?’ She asked and T-Dog snorted.  
‘Turns out that Merle Dixon had his own stash this whole time,’ He said and Tala shook her head.  
‘Of course he did.’  
‘According to his brother, he got the clap a couple of times.’  
Tala grimaced. ‘I did not need to know that, but thanks, T-Dog.’  
She sat in the living room and watched as Lori rushed out. Tala’s eyes stayed on the door and she started chewing her lip again. It had been hours since Shane left. She heard Lori raising her voice but she didn’t listen to what was being said. She stared at the door, begging for the pickup truck to come back, to hear Shane’s voice telling Rick they’d got the supplies.   
Lori and Rick came back inside and Tala barely noticed. They walked past her and still she watched the door rather absently. Tala heard Carl cough and she looked towards his room. A moment passed.  
‘Carl?’ Rick called out.  
‘What’s happening?’ Lori asked Hershel and Tala hurried in.  
‘It’s a seizure,’ Hershel said as Carl thrashed on the bed. ‘If you hold him down you could hurt him.’  
‘You can’t stop it?’ Lori looked up at him, horrified. Tala put her hands to her mouth, staring down at Carl. She had seen something similar happen before, several times, but it didn’t make it easier. She stepped back slightly and Hershel shook his head.  
‘He has to just go through it,’ He said sadly and Rick and Lori embraced, sobbing. Carl writhed and thrashed and shook violently, the bed creaking from the movements. Tala stared, unable to take her eyes away when suddenly he stopped moving. The three rushed forward and Hershel gently checked Carl’s face as Tala could only stand there.  
‘His brain isn’t getting enough blood,’ He explained quietly. ‘His pressure’s bottoming and he needs another transfusion.’  
‘Okay, I’m ready,’ Rick said huskily and Hershel shook his head.  
‘If I take any more out of you, your body could shut down and you could go into a coma, or a cardiac arrest,’ He argued but Rick shut him down.  
‘You’re wasting time,’ He sat down and Hershel hesitated before grabbing the kit needed to take his blood. Lori and Tala made eye contact and they couldn’t say anything to each other. Lori looked back down at her son and Tala stumbled out. She went outside, and got to a tree.  
She took a shaky breath before she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Glenn and Maggie were sat on the porch and he called out to Tala.  
‘Tala, are you okay?’ He asked and Tala turned to him.  
‘Yeah, pizza boy. I’m grand,’ She said, wiping her face. She went over to him and sat down on the floor. She leant her head back against the wall and sighed.   
‘Carl, um, had a seizure. I don’t know how long he can keep going,’ She whispered and Glenn put his head in his hands. Tala rubbed her eyes, tears pricking at the corners again, and then suddenly she could hear an engine. Her head snapped up so fast she wouldn’t be surprised if she had whiplash and Tala jumped down the steps. Shane got out of the pick up truck alone, carrying two bags. Tala rushed forward and hugged him tightly before taking one of the bags.  
‘You came back just in time,’ She said breathlessly and he looked at her guiltily. He didn’t reply and Tala noticed that he was limping as they went back to the house. The others came out and Hershel looked at the truck.  
‘Otis?’ He said. Shane looked over everyone and his voice cracked.  
‘No,’ He whispered. They handed Maggie and Hershel the bags and Hershel looked back at the house.  
‘Nobody tell Patricia, not until after,’ He said, beginning to walk away. ‘I need her.’  
Rick moved forward and hugged Shane and he stuttered quietly.  
‘They kept locking us man, every turn, we had nothing left, down to ten rounds and he said, he said he’d cover me and that I should keep going so that’s what I did I … I kept going but I ... I look back and he ... He just … I tried,’ Shane said, tears threatening to fall and Tala held his hand as it shook. He squeezed it tightly but didn’t look at her.  
‘You wanted to make it right,’ Rick said simply and behind him Maggie cried quietly.   
They all made their way inside. Rick held the door out for Tala and Shane but she held up her hand and shook her head. He didn’t question her and Tala turned back to look at Shane. They didn’t say anything and Tala hugged him again. He breathed heavily into her shoulder and she didn’t want to let go.  
After a few moments they came apart and Tala hesitated for a moment. Shane’s eyes raked over her and she gently caressed his face. He took her hand and for a fleeting second she worried that she was going to be sick but, thankfully, she wasn’t.   
Shane took Tala’s face in his hands. His lip trembled slightly but he leant forward quickly and kissed her again. It was hot and Tala was surprised but she wrapped her arms around his neck and they stood there for a moment.   
Tala was the first to turn away as Rick and Lori came back outside. Shane went to lean against the pickup truck and almost collapsed. Tala sank down beside him and ran her hands through her hair, the images of Carl shaking going through her mind. After what felt like hours, Hershel came outside, wiping his hands with a handkerchief.   
He smiled. ‘He seems to have stabilised.’  
Rick came forward and hugged the doctor. Tala sighed in relief, smiling herself. She helped Shane up and they walked over to the others.  
‘I don’t have words,’ Lori said through her tears.  
‘I don’t either. I wish I did,’ Hershel replied before saddening. ‘How do I tell Patricia about Otis?’  
There was a pause before Rick looked to Lori. ‘You go to Carl, I’ll go with Hershel.’  
Before they made their way inside, Tala’s eye was caught to the truck cab. Otis’s gun was lying on the passenger seat. Tala frowned before Shane nudged her gently and they walked back into the house. They could hear Patricia crying as they walked in. Shane paused and before Tala could do anything he walked away to see Carl. Tala stood by the kitchen awkwardly.  
‘I’m so sorry,’ She murmured and Patricia looked up at her. She shook her head and kept crying lightly. Tala swallowed before walking away and standing by the front window, looking out at the pickup truck. A cold sense of dread filled into her chest as she stared at the cabin and she bit her thumbnail. How had he managed to get the gun back?   
‘Shane went upstairs,’ Maggie said, and Tala turned. Maggie’s eyes red and she looked exhausted. ‘Just in case you go looking.’  
Tala nodded, thanking her quietly, and slowly made her way upstairs. She heard a buzzing noise coming from behind a door and she knocked quietly.   
‘Shane? Is that you?’ Tala murmured and the buzzing stopped.   
‘Yeah,’ She heard after a moment.   
‘Can we talk?’   
Another moment. ‘Yeah.’  
‘Okay, can I come in?’ The door unlocked and she almost gasped. Tala walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her quickly. ‘You went full military style, huh?’ She asked quietly and he didn’t react.  
‘What do you want to talk about?’ Shane said shortly. Tala sighed and reached behind him to turn the shower off. She looked at his gun and hesitated.  
‘I think you’re hiding something from me,’ She finally said and Shane visibly stiffened. ‘I’m not saying you have to tell anyone, or even me, if you don’t want to but …’ Tala trailed off, seeing Shane’s face. He looked tortured. Tala’s stomach turned slightly, seeing him like that. She didn’t know what to say.   
‘I wasn’t lying,’ He said and Tala tilted her head slightly.  
‘I didn’t say you were.’  
‘I’m not hiding anything, then.’  
‘Okay.’  
‘You don’t believe me.’  
Her expression flickered. ‘No, I don’t. You may be good at lying to other people, Shane, but you sure as hell don’t fool me. I’ve been around liars my whole life. I know what they look like,’ She hissed, aware that people could be listening. She gestured to the razor and the clumps of Shane’s hair in the sink. ‘If a walker had done that, you wouldn’t have felt the need to shave your head. But you did. You shouldn’t have come back with the dead man’s gun. _You did_. Something happened.’  
Shane didn’t meet her eye. He looked into the mirror and he sagged. ‘You were always a good detective. Always managed to get people to confess. Give me some time and … and then I’ll tell you.’  
‘Okay,’ Tala said gently and he looked back at her. He moved forward unsteadily and hugged her again, his arms wrapping around her body and pulling her in close.  
‘I’m staying. I’m staying with the group. With you. That’s the truth,’ He murmured and Tala kissed his shoulder lightly.  
‘Finally, you’ve had some sense knocked into you.’


	11. Disembowel

#  Eleven

##  **_D i s e m b o w e l_ **

_ /dɪsɪmˈbaʊəl/ _

_ Verb - To cut open and remove the internal organs of a person or animal. _

✦

Shane came out wearing a pair of overalls that were probably four sizes too big for him the next morning and Tala tried not to stare. Otis’s clothes hung off him desperately and it made Tala think about Of Mice And Men. It didn’t help when they went outside and began collecting rocks for Otis’s memorial. Hershel’s youngest daughter and her boyfriend, Jimmy, helped. Tala took a rock from Shane and he looked up at her, frowning.  
‘Go easy on your leg,’ She said gently and he didn’t give her a reply. A rumbling came from behind them and Tala looked over to the road. The rest of the group came down and Tala and Shane went over to the house.  
‘How is he?’ Asked Dale nervously.  
‘He’ll pull through,’ Lori said with a smile. ‘Thanks to Hershel and his people, and -’  
‘And Shane. We would have lost Carl if it weren’t for him,’ Rick added and Tala looked back at Shane. He fiddled with the overalls and looked nervous. Everyone hugged each other and Tala gave Carol a tight hug.  
‘Thank God, we were so worried,’ She said to Lori.  
‘How’d it happen?’ Asked Dale and Rick looked sad.  
‘Hunting accident, that’s all. Just a stupid accident.’  
‘Was everything okay last night?’ Tala asked Carol and she shrugged.  
‘We didn’t get much sleep but, yes, it was alright,’ She replied. They all made their way over to a small grove for Otis’s memorial. Shane stayed close to Tala and while everyone was settling she held his hand. She started stroking the back of his hand and he gave her a tiny, grateful smile.  
‘Blessed be God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to Him for the gift of our brother, Otis, for his span of years, for his abundance of character. Otis, who gave his life to save a child’s, now more than ever our most precious aspect. We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived … in grace,’ Hershel spoke with the steady pace of a pastor as everyone individually picked up a rock and gently placed it on the cairn they built him. Once he finished his eulogy, he looked around to Shane. ‘Shane, will you speak for Otis?’  
Shane tensed beside Tala, his fingers gripping her tightly. His voice cracked when he spoke. ‘Not good at it, I’m sorry.’  
‘You were the last one with him. You shared his final moment. Please, I need to hear. I need to know that his death had meaning,’ Patricia begged him and Shane stuttered. He looked at Patricia before looking down and he tried to clear his throat.   
‘We were about done, almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols by then. I was limping, bad, ankle all swollen up. “We gotta save the boy.” See, that’s what he said. He gave me his backpack, he shoved me ahead. “Go on,” He said. “I’ll take the rear, I’ll cover you.” And when I look back …’ Shane’s speech was full of stutters, stumbles and voice cracks but he kept going, almost tearfully. He stepped forward and picked up a rock from the wheelbarrow. ‘If not for Otis, I’d never have made it out alive and that goes for Carl too. It was Otis. He saved us both.’ He paused and looked at Patricia. ‘If any death ever had meaning, it was his.’   
He placed the rock on the cairn and Patricia sobbed quietly. Shane came back to Tala and she took his hand again gently, the uneasy feeling settling in her stomach. They went back to the house and Tala set up her tent. She found Shane’s bag with his clothes and called him over.  
‘Get changed, in my tent. I can’t stand seeing you in those clothes,’ She eyed the overalls distastefully and Shane nodded curtly, taking the pile out of Tala’s hands and leaving. Tala put on her police cap from the office and looked out at the fields with her hands in her pockets. She could get used to this. But she wouldn’t.  
Shane came back out, pulling on the same cap Tala was wearing and she smiled.  
‘Twinsies,’ She said, pointing and he managed to smile.   
‘Twinsies,’ He repeated quietly and they walked over to Carol’s car. Maggie had laid out a map of the surrounding area and Rick was talking about how they would split up to search for Sophia.   
‘Not you, not today,’ Hershel interjected quickly and Rick almost faltered. ‘You gave three units of blood. You wouldn’t be hiking five minutes in this heat before passing out.’ He looked to Shane and nodded. ‘And your ankle. You push it now, you’ll be laid up a month, no good to anybody.’  
‘Guess it’s just me,’ Daryl said and Tala shook her head.  
‘And me,’ She said.  
The redneck looked at her before nodding. ‘I’m going to head back to the creek, work my way from there.’  
‘I could still be useful,’ Suggested Shane. ‘Drive up the interstate, see if Sophia wandered back.’  
‘Alright, tomorrow then. We’ll start doing this right,’ Rick started to finish off.  
‘That means we can’t have our people out there with just knives. Need the gun training we’ve been promised,’ Shane continued and Hershel looked uneasy.  
‘I’d prefer you not carrying guns on my property. We’ve made it so far without turning it into an armed camp,’ He said and Andrea looked annoyed.   
‘With all due respect, you get a crowd of those things coming in here -’ Shane argued but Rick interrupted him, shooting him a look that was more unnerving than usual due to his pale complexion.  
‘We’re guests here,’ He said. ‘This is your property and we will respect that.’ He put his gun on the bonnet and Shane sighed irritably. He looked at Tala and she shrugged indifferently, putting her weapon on the car too. Shane clicked his tongue and eventually put his pistol down.  
‘First things first, set up camp, find Sophia,’ Rick instructed.  
‘You know I hate to be the one to ask but someone has to,’ Shane said and Tala looked at him, anticipating something about the guns again. ‘What happens if we find her and she’s bit? Think we should all be clear on how we handle that.’  
Rick paused for a moment and looked down. ‘You do what has to be done,’ He said quietly. Tala chewed on her lip and Maggie looked somewhat horrified.  
‘And her mother? What do you tell her?’ She asked.  
‘The truth,’ Replied Andrea bluntly. Maggie looked to her father and he gave her a subtle shake of the head. Tala frowned but didn’t make anything of it.  
Shane picked up his pistol from the car again and Tala raised her eyebrow. ‘We gather and secure all the weapons, make sure no ones carrying until we’ve got a practice range offsite,’ He said. ‘We do rotations, one rifle on lookout. Dale’s got experience.’  
There was silence and Tala looked to Hershel expectantly. Rick leant forward.  
‘Our people would feel safer, less inclined to carry a gun,’ After a moment Hershel nodded. ‘Thank you.’  
Shane and Daryl began to walk away as Maggie spoke. ‘That stuff you brought. Got more antibiotics, bandages anything like that?’  
‘Just what you see,’ Andrea said somewhat coldly and she walked away too. Tala watched her leave, and she tried to cover up her look with something more neutral. She nodded to Hershel before walking away to her tent. Tala clambered in and stumbled from a sudden wave of dizziness. She fell straight into Shane and he caught her awkwardly.  
‘Woah, hey, are you alright?’ He asked and Tala took a moment, righting herself.  
‘Yeah, just felt really dizzy. Sorry about that,’ She said, letting go of his arm. He gave her a smile and sat her down on one of the camp beds. The feeling remained and she put a hand to her head.  
‘I noticed you brought in the rest of my stuff,’ Shane said, passing Tala a water bottle as she felt herself blushing lightly.   
‘I thought I’d save you the effort of setting up and -’ She stammered and Shane shook his head, the smile still playing on his lips.  
‘It’s okay. I was actually going to say thank you,’ He said and Tala blushed a little further. He looked at her and adjusted his cap before giving her another smile.  
‘Well, you’re welcome,’ Tala said as she went to get up Shane helped her slightly, his hand around her arm gently. Tala looked up at him with a small smile and he looked like he was about to kiss her again as she walked around him and made her way to her bag.  
‘What did you come in here for?’ Shane asked after he had cleared his throat and Tala rifled through her to get the ammo and managed to pull out a perfume bottle. Tala frowned, kneeling back and she stared at it.  
‘The ammo,’ She muttered, turning the bottle in her hands and feeling a pang of grief in her chest. The sentimentality connected to a simple bottle of perfume was almost ridiculous.   
‘Something wrong?’ He asked again, adjusting his 22 necklace.   
‘I just found something, that’s all,’ Tala said quietly and he crouched beside her.  
‘Perfume? Why did you bring that?’  
Tala shot him a look and shook her head. ‘If I had known quite how much stuff was already in this bag, I would have taken a different one.’  
‘What was it doing there anyway?’  
Tala frowned slightly. ‘It was Ashley and Eliza’s favourite. Whenever they smelt this they would just, I don’t know how, but they’d instantly calm down. It was like a magic potion, or chloroform. You pick,’ She explained and Shane laughed quietly.  
‘Chloroform, huh? Let me see how this stuff smells,’ He said and Tala sprayed some onto her wrist, rubbed her other wrist against it and then rubbed it on her neck out of habit. Tala held out her hand to Shane and he smiled. He went to smell it before pushing up towards Tala’s neck.  
He inhaled deeply and Tala felt him smile against her skin. ‘Smells good. I can see why it was their favourite. There’s definitely something … you about it.’  
‘That could just be my neck,’ Tala pointed out and he smiled again.  
‘Could be,’ He murmured and he gently started to kiss her. Shivers ran down Tala’s back and she put the perfume bottle down absently. Shane moved up, to her lips, and Tala resisted melting into his arms. She kissed him for a moment putting a hand to his chest gently and another on his cheek.  
‘What really happened, Shane?’ Tala asked and he didn’t meet her eye as he paled.  
‘I already said, at the funeral,’ He started but Tala gripped his t-shirt and pulled him towards her gently.   
‘I already said that I can tell when you lie,’ She cut in quietly, looking up at him. He licked his lips nervously before looking away again.  
‘You’ll hate me,’ His voice cracked slightly and Tala adjusted her cap, letting go of his shirt and smoothing the creases down again.  
‘Only if you keep up with the lying,’ She looked up at him as he sighed and sat back.  
‘It was completely overrun. There were hundreds of ‘em,’ He started shakily. ‘We had just escaped the high school building and were tryna get out of there. I was out on my shotgun and he was out on his rifle. We couldn’t stop to catch our breath. He was slow. Hell, even with my ankle I was getting somewhere faster than him. We were down to nine rounds between us and I … There was at least a hundred following us. And, and, I was down to my last round and I sure as hell wasn’t going to use it on myself so I … shot him. I shot Otis in the leg and I took the bag and I fucking ran. I got myself out of there and I didn’t look back.’  
Tala swallowed as Shane finished his story, her eyes wide. He glanced up at her, licking his lips again before Tala found her voice. ‘What about your hair?’  
‘He wouldn’t go without a bit of a fight. When I went to grab the bag he tried to pull me down,’ He explained hoarsely and Tala nodded. ‘You hate me.’  
She leant forward and hugged him tightly, arms wrapped around his neck. ‘No,’ She whispered and Shane sniffed.   
‘You should.’

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

‘Hey Dale, I’ve got this for you,’ Tala said quietly, handing a box of ammo to him. He looked at it before putting it in his shirt pocket. ‘We’re going to be rounding up the guns pretty soon, only keep the rifle out in rotations. Does that sound good to you?’  
‘Yeah, that seems like a reasonable enough idea,’ He said and Tala nodded.   
‘Alright, I suppose that settles it,’ She murmured and Dale surveyed her with a curious look in his eye. Tala looked out at the fields and sighed.  
‘You said you were Deputy Sheriff, back in King County,’ He said and Tala looked around at him with a frown.  
‘Yeah, I was promoted a few years back after Rick became Sheriff,’ Dale looked impressed.  
‘That’s pretty quick progression,’ He said and Tala gave him a small smile.   
‘I worked hard,’ She said, looking back at the fields. ‘Never thought I would get any sort of opportunity like that.’   
‘Oh, really? A smart woman like you, it’s no surprise,’ Dale said and Tala raised an eyebrow with the next smile.  
‘Trust me, my life back in Britain was much different,’ She said, an insect coming dangerously close. She swatted at it before looking back at Dale. ‘It was … a struggle.’  
Dale didn’t say anything for a moment before adjusting his hat and standing next to Tala. ‘Family life was hard, huh?’ He asked and Tala ran a hand through her hair.  
‘You could say that,’ She gave a small laugh and shook her head. ‘You don’t want to hear about it though. The end of the world is depressing enough without bringing depressing past lives into it.’  
‘So mysterious,’ Dale said with a smile of his own and Tala winked.   
‘So wise,’ She said as she made her way down the ladder and she saw Dale bat her hat at her. Shane hauled the gun bag onto a table as Tala laughed, and Andrea walked over to him. Tala continued over to Glenn, pushing the thought of her family, and what Shane had said, out of her mind.  
‘Hey, Glenn? You’re going on this pharmacy run, right?’ She asked and he nodded.  
‘Yeah, of course. You need something?’ He said, then he looked around slightly and leant forward. ‘Is it … personal?’  
Tala frowned and shook her head slightly. ‘Uh, no. I was just gonna ask you to try and get some aspirin or some other painkiller. My headaches are annoying me.’   
Glenn nodded and laughed nervously. ‘Of course, yeah, duh, haha.’  
‘Now that you’re speaking of personal.’  
‘Oh god.’  
‘How about some cigarettes? I don’t expect there to be any, mind you,’ Tala smiled as Glenn’s terrified look melted into relief.  
‘I can do that, sure,’ He said with a smile.  
‘Has someone asked for tampons?’   
Glenn shook his head and then sighed and shrugged. ‘I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t know what it is, but apparently it’ll be in the feminine hygiene section so…’ He trailed off and Tala smirked slightly.  
‘Need me to give you some help? Say what it is?’ She asked and he looked down at a piece of paper in his hand, hesitating  
‘Yeah, sure, why not,’ He said and he showed her what had been written down.   
‘First response? That’s a pregnancy test. It should be pretty easy to find. From what I remember it’s in a purple box,’ Tala told him and he nodded.   
‘Okay, great, thanks,’ He said and Tala smiled. Maggie came over with a horse and he struggled to get up.  
‘Need a hand?’ Maggie and Tala said together and Tala laughed slightly. Glenn shook his head and heaved himself up, and they were ready to go.  
‘Look at you, pizza cowboy,’ Tala said and Glenn shook his head again, blushing slightly and glancing at Maggie.  
‘Shut up,’ He said.   
‘You might as well call me “mom”,’ Tala said and Maggie laughed. Glenn rolled his eyes with a small smile as they began to leave.  
‘Shut up, mom,’ He said and Tala stood, mock tearfully, by the tree, waving Glenn off like a parent sending their child to college. He looked back and stuck up the middle finger before Tala laughed and stopped the act.  
She thought about the note for a moment before she realised what had looked familiar. It had been Lori’s handwriting. Tala wondered who the father was before she grimaced and pushed the thought out of her mind. She made her way over to T-Dog, who had managed to get one too many containers for the water, and took a few from him. They walked over to one of the farm wells and set everything down as Dale waited for them.  
‘How’s your arm doing?’ Tala asked as they walked and T-Dog nodded.  
‘I’m feeling a lot better,’ He said. ‘Maggie stitched it up and Merle’s meds are doing their job.’  
‘That’s good to hear,’ Tala said with a small smile. ‘I’m glad you’re getting better.’  
T-Dog smiled to her before turning to Dale, the smile wavering slightly. ‘I’m not weak, and I’m not a coward,’ He said and Dale looked between Tala and T-Dog.  
‘I never said you were.’  
‘Well, what I said on the highway, I don’t know what that was, where it came from,’ T-Dog said and glanced at Tala. She put her hands to her ears after setting down the containers and gave him a smile. ‘That wasn’t me. If it’s okay, I’d rather you never told anybody about that stuff I said.’  
‘What stuff? I couldn’t get a word out of you all day,’ Dale said and T-Dog laughed lightly.   
‘Do you think there’s a snowball’s chance of finding that little girl?’ He asked as he pumped the water.   
‘First time in my life, I’m betting on there being a snowball,’ Dale said before walking away to the well. Tala followed after Dale and realised some of the wood had been ripped off the covering. They looked down cautiously into the water and Tala didn’t know whether to gag or laugh. She managed to do a mixture of both and she looked up at Dale. He had a look of shock on his face that was mingled with disgust.   
‘Yeah, me too. We’ll do whatever we have to,’ T-Dog continued. Dale went back over to him slowly and Tala kept staring into the well, her disgust quickly growing. ‘I don’t care if I have to comb the woods like Rambo and fetch a pail of water. Everyone kicks in and does their part. Am I right? Do your part, don’t complain. That’s what I always -’ Dale slapped the ladle out of his hand right before T-Dog drank from it and Tala tore her eyes away from the giant, rolling walker below her. It’s guttural groans and cries echoed off the well wall and it sounded as sickening as the sight of it.   
‘I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,’ Dale said with a thin smile and the walker groaned louder. Tala stayed at the edge of the well while the other two went and got some of the others. Shane walked over to Tala and looked down.   
‘That is one unfortunate son of a bitch,’ He said, whistling slightly and Tala laughed.  
‘Looks like my uncle,’ Tala said and Shane looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She smiled and shook her head. ‘Not really. He looks like my cousin.’ Shane snorted and the rest crowded around, staring down at the grotesque beast below. Tala shoved her hands in her pockets, swallowing down the feeling of nausea.  
‘How long do you think it’s been down there?’ Glenn asked.  
‘Long enough to grow gills,’ Said Andrea.  
‘We can’t leave it in there, God knows what it’s doing to the water,’ Lori said.  
‘Gotta get it out,’ Shane said simply.  
‘Easy, put a bullet in its head,’ T-Dog said. ‘I’ll get a rope.’  
Maggie looked horrified. ‘Woah, woah, guys, no.’  
‘Why not?’ Asked Glenn. ‘It’s a good plan.’ Tala shook her head and sighed.  
‘It’s a stupid plan. If that thing hasn’t contaminated the water yet, blowing its brains out will finish the job,’ Andrea pointed out and Tala hated to agree with her but it seemed to be the only option she was given.  
‘She’s right, can’t risk it,’ Said Shane.  
T-Dog stared at him. ‘So it has to come out alive?’  
‘So to speak,’ Shane shrugged and they all looked at each other.  
‘How do we do that?’ Glenn asked and nobody answered for a moment.  
‘I don’t know, it seems pretty risky to keep using this well after this thing has been in here. We should get it out, but we’ll need to seal it off regardless,’ Tala said. Everyone seemed unsure and she shook her head. ‘Outbreaks of Cholera in nineteenth century London was linked to rotting fluids and various other things contaminating the water supply. You really want to add the risk of turning into that?’ She gestured to the monster below and shook her head.   
‘You’re right,’ Dale said simply after a moment, nodding his head. ‘Do you have any ideas on how to get the walker out, though?’  
‘We could fish it out,’ Maggie said. ‘Get a rope around it and pull it up alive.’  
Shane nodded his head slowly. ‘That’s a start. Let’s go see what we can rustle up.’  
He left with Tala to find a rope as some of the others continued to brainstorm, and a couple of others got something for the walker to eat.  
‘Do you think we could keep him, as a pet?’ Tala asked quietly, wrapping the rope around her arm. Shane paused and looked up at her.   
‘What would you do with it?’ He asked.  
‘Look at it. Scare bears off with it. It could be the group’s bodyguard,’ Tala pointed out and Shane shook his head, that bemused look coming back. ‘Well, even if we don’t get to keep him, I’m going to call him Gerald.’  
Shane laughed a little and went back to getting the rope. ‘But … bears? Never … Okay, sure. Gerald it is.’  
Tala laughed too and the image of Gerald popped back up in her mind. ‘Do you think he’s always looked like that, or just since he fell in the well?’  
Shane didn’t stop wrapping the rope around his arm and shrugged. ‘Probably always looked like that. Your cousin really like that though?’  
‘Of course,’ Tala said, her face turning solemn. ‘He had a rare genetic disorder. It caused him to act like a complete twat and never do anything other than eat, sleep and watch TV. I managed to miss the gene, thankfully.’  
Shane shook his head, snorting again. They walked back to the well and Lori showed them some spam to use for the bait.  
‘My dad always used to say, “If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing poles.” I think he clung on to the country lifestyle a little too hard before he died,’ Tala murmured as she tied the rope into a respectable harness. Shane smiled sadly.  
‘He seemed like a funny guy. I always wished I could have met him,’ He said and Tala patted his arm.  
‘He would have liked you. You would’ve been the only man to have anything to do with me that he liked,’ She said and Shane adjusted his cap.  
‘I feel honoured.’  
‘Good, because you’re the one who needs to attach this gross chunk of “food” to the fishing rod,’ Tala shoved the can in his face and he scowled, but did so without complaining. They slowly lowered the rope down and Gerald barely looked at it. He just bumped off the walls of the well, uninterested.   
‘He’s not going for it,’ Said Dale.  
‘That’s because some can ham doesn’t kick and scream when you eat it,’ T-Dog said and Lori nodded.  
‘He’s right, there’s a reason the dead didn’t come back to life and start raiding our cupboards,’ She said and Tala smiled thinly down at Gerald.  
‘We need live bait,’ Andrea said and after a moment Tala looked up from Gerald and realised that everyone was looking towards Glenn. He looked nervous and Tala frowned.   
‘Why don’t you do it, Andrea?’ Tala asked coolly and her only response was a glare. Glenn sighed and Shane tied him up sturdily with the rope.  
‘Did I mention that I really like the new haircut?’ Glenn said nervously. ‘You have a nice shaped head.’  
‘I wouldn’t worry about it, bud,’ Shane said. ‘Hey, we’re going to get you out of here in one piece.’  
‘Living piece,’ Glenn reiterated. ‘The living part is important.’  
Everyone got into position along the rope and Tala braced herself. ‘Nice and slow, please,’ Glenn called meekly.  
‘Glenn, are you sure? I’ll do it,’ Tala said but Glenn just waved his hand.  
‘We’ve got you,’ Said Andrea and Tala wanted to kick her in.   
‘You people are crazy,’ Maggie said and Shane seemed irritated.   
‘You want to get it out of your well, or not?’ He snapped and Dale waved her over.  
‘Give us an eye there, Maggie.’  
Maggie walked over, visibly uncomfortable. She stood over Glenn and he lowered himself in slightly. Slowly the rope was let go and Maggie waited nervously beside the well.  
‘Little lower,’ She said, and suddenly the water pump flew from its foundation. Everyone tugged on the rope, trying desperately to pull Glenn back up as he cried out.   
‘Shane, get me out of here!’ He cried as the group desperately tugged at the rope until he scrambled out, and Tala’s heart jumped into her throat. It felt like years, the tiny moment that it took them to haul Glenn out, but he managed to pull himself out from the top without a scratch and kneel on all fours, panting.   
‘You okay?’ Tala rushed forward and gave him a tight hug on the ground. ‘Jesus that was such a bad idea, I’m so sorry you were put in that situation.’  
Glenn didn’t say anything back, he just panted hard, clutching the rope.  
‘Back to the drawing board,’ Dale said and Glenn looked up, grinning.   
‘Says you,’ He said, handing the rope to Dale. Tala looked over the edge of the well and saw that the rope harness Shane made was wrapped around Gerald’s body.  
‘Pizza boy, did I ever tell you you’re my favourite?’ She said with a grin and he waved her away with a macho aura to him.  
‘Just doing what I gotta do,’ Glenn said and Tala shook her head, laughing. Maggie tied the rope to one of the horses and slowly Gerald was brought back up to the surface. Everyone shouted encouragement and Tala watched as Gerald was pulled up from the well. He got stuck on something and they tugged desperately.  
‘Hold on,’ Tala started forward to try and get him free but then suddenly his body ripped in half and his legs and lower torso fell into the well. ‘Oh my god, Gerald what have you done,’ Tala whispered and only Shane could hear her. He rubbed his head in his hands.  
‘Gerald, you had one job,’ He replied and Tala shook her head. Gerald kept groaning and trails of rotting organs strung out of him like Halloween streamers. The stench coming from him was something awful and hit suddenly like a punch to the gut. T-Dog looked down at Gerald and groaned.  
‘We should definitely seal off this well,’ Dale said and Shane scratched his head.  
‘Yeah, that might be a good idea.’   
‘So what do we do about the -’ Andrea started but T-Dog brought one of the blades from the arsenal down into Gerald’s head repeatedly. Tala watched on and sighed as Gerald’s brain quickly turned to mush. Maggie turned away, groaning and crying quietly.   
‘Good thing we didn’t do anything stupid, like shoot it,’ T-Dog said, throwing down the weapon and despite herself, Tala snorted. Shane turned to her, his hands in his pockets.  
‘Andrea and I need to go down the interstate with Carol to see if Sophia’s turned up. You going to come with?’ He asked and Tala shook her head again.   
‘I’ll help clean this up and try sort out the well situation. A similar thing happened on the farm once with a couple of calf ... It shouldn’t be too different, right?’ Tala said and Shane shrugged.  
‘Well, it’s up to you. Have fun with Gerald,’ He said as he walked away and Tala looked back down at what was left of the walker.  
‘Somehow, I think that opportunity passed us,’ Tala called out and she could hear him laugh from where she stood. She turned to Dale and he shook his head, looking down at Gerald too.  
‘So, where do we start?’ Dale asked and Tala kicked Gerald’s torso before sighing.  
‘Supplies. We need gloves, firstly. Maybe wrap ourselves in bin liners, if Hershel has any. Tape everything down so that we’re as protected as possible from the nasty stuff in there. We don’t want there to be any possibility of getting infected. Wear masks, goggles, big boots wrapped in plastic. We’ll see what Hershel’s got lying around,’ Tala said, looking down into the well and grimacing. ‘We’re going to need to try and stop the groundwater from getting contaminated as much as possible. That means getting rid of all the bits of the walker, draining the well and then filling it with whatever we can.’   
Tala looked around and nodded. Dale exhaled a long breath before shaking his head. ‘How many people do we need?’  
‘A few. I’m not sure yet. We’ll probably need Glenn, Shane and Daryl when they come back. How do you feel about digging?’ She asked and he shrugged.  
‘I’ll do what needs to be done,’ He said and then smiled. ‘How do you know all of this?’   
‘I guess that shitty British life growing up on a farm has managed to come to some use,’ Tala smiled thinly and she turned to look at the house. ‘Let’s get our supplies.’

  
  


.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Tala’s mask threatened to slip off as she was pulled out of the well by T-Dog. She gripped the bucket holding bits of organs tightly. Her bin bag outfit crinkled as she tried to nudge her mask back over her nose. She gave up and sighed. Considering she was the only one down here, cleaning out the well was slow progress. Finally, she was out at the top and dumped the contents of the bucket into a bigger container filled with guts as Dale kept digging. Tala climbed onto solid ground again, her thighs burning from the harness.   
Tala looked around to see if anyone was back yet and she noticed Glenn walking towards them. He didn’t look very happy about the situation but Tala had gone past the point of caring. If she had to smell like death then so did he.   
Tala briefed him quickly on what they were trying to do, pointing to a DIY-well-cleaning kit laid out for him on the foundation where the pump had been. Glenn quickly gave her three packets of Marlboro cigarettes before he got to work on setting up and for that Tala was grateful. Like T-Dog had said earlier, do your part and don’t complain.   
Daryl and Shane came back at roughly the same time and Tala gave them a quick wave. She went to the edge of the well and looked down.  
‘How are you doing, Glenn?’ Her voice echoed slightly and he looked up.  
‘Better now that it’s just me down here,’ He said, giving Tala a thumbs up. She nodded with a smile and turned back to Shane and Daryl.  
‘We still need to get enough sediment to fill the well, and we need to hurry to get this well drained before the groundwater gets completely fucked,’ Tala said. She chucked another rope to Shane. ‘Make another harness, and quickly. Once you’ve done that, get into a suit like this one. Daryl, you do the same. Once you’re ready, take a bucket and we’ll drop you in, one at a time. Sorry to be working you on a conveyor belt but time is not on our side and I’m not in the mood to be killed by my drinking water,’ Shane took a moment, his eyes raking over Tala before giving her a small smile. Tala shook her head and pushed him gently. ‘Come on, get a move on.’  
‘Yes ma’am,’ He said, the smile still on his face and Tala rolled her eyes. Hershel came over with Jimmy and Maggie and Tala turned to the doctor, blowing a stray hair out of her face.  
‘These two have come to help,’ He said and Tala nodded.  
‘Thank you. We should be done soon, there’s not much left,’ She replied and Hershel shook his head. ‘Can you two help Dale with the digging? I’ll be with you in a moment.’  
‘No, thank you,’ Hershel said and he walked away. Tala turned to Shane and Daryl, a smile on her face.  
‘Right then, boys, time for you to get down and dirty.’


	12. Search

#  Twelve

##  **_S e a r c h_ **

_ /səːtʃ/ _

_ Verb - Try to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly. _

✦ 

__ Tala woke up to aching arms and she felt exhausted even though she had slept throughout the night. She groaned as she got out of bed and didn’t even try to stretch. Her thighs screamed, the muscles worn from the hours of work they had done yesterday to get the well sorted. Stupid Gerald. He just had to split in half, didn’t he? She pulled on an old police academy t-shirt and Shane woke up. He groaned too, flexing his arm out. Tala glanced back and smiled.  
‘You feeling the same as me?’ Tala asked and he sighed.  
‘If you feel like your muscles have been put through a cheese grater then yeah, I feel the same as you,’ He replied, sitting up.   
‘I always knew humans had something in common with cheese,’ Tala muttered as she brushed her hair and Shane just shook his head, pulling on his clothes. Tala’s eyes trailed along his back and she stared at the back of his head. Glenn was right, he did have a nice shaped head. Shane looked back at her and Tala looked away quickly, feeling her face burn up. She glanced back at him and saw him smirking.   
‘What’s up?’ He asked, standing up and putting on his cap.  
Tala hesitated, fiddling with a bobble on her wrist. ‘Do you think we’re going to find Sophia?’ She finally asked, her voice quiet. Shane dropped the smirk and looked down.  
‘It’s nice to be optimistic,’ He replied and Tala sat down next to him.  
‘It would be so … traumatising,’ She murmured and Shane sighed.  
‘Aren’t most things in this life?’ He said with a sad smile and Tala looked up at him before shaking her head. He patted her shoulder gently before getting up and leaving the tent. Tala groaned and rubbed her face before following him out, guilt gnawing at her for thinking that they weren’t going to find Sophia as she walked over to Carol as she put a basket-full of laundry on one of the picnic benches and she sighed.  
‘Laundry day, huh?’ Tala asked and Carol nodded.  
‘I’m afraid so,’ She said with a smile and Tala started hanging up the damp clothes, her muscles protesting with every move. After they had finished about half of the job, Lori came out of her tent.  
‘I can’t believe I slept in,’ She said, a hand on her back. She gave Tala a smile and Tala managed to return it briefly.   
‘You must have needed it,’ Carol said and Lori looked unhappy. ‘Feeling alright?’  
‘Next time, wake me alright? Especially on laundry day,’ She replied, dancing around the question and Tala thought back to the note she had read yesterday. Was the test positive?   
‘Tala and I can manage,’ Carol said as Lori started hanging up a T-shirt. ‘I have something to run by you both.’  
Tala glanced at her and gave her a smile. ‘Go ahead.’  
‘What’s up?’ Lori asked.  
‘Well that big kitchen of theirs got me thinking, I wouldn’t mind cooking in a real kitchen again,’ She started and Tala smiled. ‘Maybe we all pitch in and cook dinner for Hershel and his family tonight.’ She paused for a moment and glanced at the other two women. ‘Kind of looking for things to keep my mind occupied,’ She finished quietly and Tala rubbed her shoulder gently.  
‘After everything they’ve done for us it seems like the least we could do,’ Lori said and Tala nodded.  
‘It would be pretty fun, actually,’ She said and Carol smiled.  
‘Do either of you mind extending the invitation?’ She asked and Lori frowned. ‘It would just feel more right coming from you guys.’  
‘How so?’ Lori asked and Tala hauled up another basket of laundry, exhaling in pain from her muscles.   
‘You’re Rick’s wife. That sort of makes you our unofficial First Lady,’ Carol explained and she looked at Tala. She gave Carol another smile and Lori still looked confused. Before Carol could say anymore, Rick walked by.  
‘Morning guys,’ Rick called out. ‘Let’s get going, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.’  
‘You mind?’ Tala asked, gesturing to her old colleague and Carol shook her head.  
‘Of course not, go on,’ She said and Tala followed the others over to where the map was still spread out on the truck bonnet. Tala stood next to Daryl as Rick looked over the map.  
‘Alright, everyone’s getting new search grids today,’ He explained. ‘If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl found, she might have gone further than we’ve been so far.’  
Shane gave a slight shake of his head as he went into the cab of the truck and Beth’s young boyfriend came over.   
‘I’d like to help,’ He said and everyone looked at him. ‘I know the area pretty well, and stuff.’   
‘Hershel’s okay with this?’ Rick asked.  
‘Yeah, yeah, he said I should ask you,’ Jimmy explained and Rick nodded.  
‘Alright then, thanks,’ He said and turned back to the map.  
‘Nothing about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me,’ Shane called from the side of the truck and Tala looked at the back of him through the windscreen. ‘Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse.’  
‘Anybody includes her, right?’ Andrea pointed out and Tala leant against the truck, running a hand through her hair.  
‘It’s nice to be optimistic,’ She echoed and Shane turned, looking at her through the glass with no reply. Tala gave him a small smile as an apology and he shook his head, looking back to Rick.  
‘Whoever was sleeping in those covers no bigger than nay high,’ Daryl explained, gesturing to just above his hips as an example.   
‘Good lead,’ Andrea nodded.   
‘Maybe we’ll pick up her trail again,’ Rick said and Tala refrained from sighing. It looked like it was going to be a long search. Dale came over and put the gun bag on the hood.   
‘I’m gonna borrow a horse, head up this ridge right here, get a bird’s eye view of the whole grid. If she’s out there, I’ll spot her,’ Daryl said and Tala looked at the map.  
‘That’s a good idea,’ She said quietly, nodding.  
‘Maybe you’ll see your chupacabra up there too,’ T-Dog said and Rick tilted his head.  
‘Chupacabra?’ He asked.  
‘What, you never heard that?’ Dale asked, handing out the guns and he passed Tala the shotgun she always used to use in the office. Tala brushed off some imaginary dust out of respect as Shane came out and he smiled again. ‘First night in the camp, Daryl tells us the whole thing. He was out squirrel hunting and he saw a chupacabra.’ Jimmy scoffed slightly and Daryl glared at him.  
‘So you believe in a blood-sucking dog?’ Rick asked and Daryl shrugged, scratching his nose.  
‘You believe in dead people walking around?’ He replied simply and Tala looked down, smirking. For a moment there was silence, and Jimmy reached over the truck to pick up the shotgun lying on the hood.  
‘Hey, hey,’ Rick said, taking a hold of the boy’s wrist. ‘Ever fire one before?’  
‘With everything that’s going on, I want one,’ Jimmy said simply and Tala raised her eyebrows.   
‘Same with people in hell and slurpees,’ Daryl said, slinging his shotgun across his shoulder and Tala shook her head with a snort.   
‘Come train tomorrow,’ Said Shane, leaning against the truck door as Jimmy began to walk away. ‘If you’re serious, I’m a certified instructor.’  
Andrea looked between the two and nodded. ‘For now, he can come with us.’   
‘He’s yours to babysit, then,’ Shane said and he caught Tala’s eye. She looked at him for a moment before he shook his head and turned away.  
‘Alright, Andrea, T-Dog, I want you guys to go over here,’ Rick gestured to the west side. ‘Tala, you wanna come with me and Shane?’  
Tala gathered pieces of cloth and shoved them into her pocket before walking back to Rick and Shane, nerves settling in her stomach again as her thoughts went to what could go wrong this time they went. Andrea, T-Dog and Jimmy set out and Daryl went to get his horse. Tala gripped her shotgun with her right hand and nodded to the men as they turned to her, swallowing her anxiety back down.  
‘We ready to go?’ She asked and they nodded too.  
‘I think so,’ Rick said, looking to Shane and he adjusted his cap.  
They walked into the forest and started searching. Every quarter of a mile or so, Shane nailed a piece of cloth to a tree to mark their way. They had been walking in silence for half an hour and as Tala scanned the surroundings for walkers, Rick spoke up.  
‘You remember the name of that waitress at Dairy Queen, when we were in high school?’ He asked Shane. After Shane didn’t reply, Rick snorted lightly. ‘I know you, Shane, well enough to know that there is only one sure fire way of engaging you in a conversation and that is to start asking about girls you did in high school. I don’t want to but I will if that's what it takes.’  
Shane hesitated, glancing at Tala quickly and she smirked. ‘Mary-Anne,’ He said eventually. ‘I told you about her.’  
‘Oh, in excruciating detail,’ Rick replied and Tala laughed as she peered down the barrel of the shotgun.  
‘Excruciating my ass, you used to live for those details back in the day,’ Shane argued and Tala looked at them, enjoying herself immensely.  
‘I was impressionable and I may have been living vicariously through you.’  
‘Why wouldn’t you, with my impressive list of accomplishments?’ Shane said and Tala groaned. Rick looked back at her and smiled. ‘I was an artist in his prime. A protegee.’  
‘You mean prodigy?’ Tala asked and Shane snorted.  
‘Maybe, is a prodigy what you call a young high school stud who bangs thirty-year-olds on the regular?’ He replied and Tala smiled again.   
‘Fuck off,’ She said, shaking her head and looking back around again.  
‘What thirty-year-old were you banging in high school?’ Rick interjected and Shane paused, a smile on his face.  
‘P.E teacher.’  
‘Mr Daniel?’ Rick asked and they all laughed.  
‘Mrs Kelly,’ Shane corrected.  
‘The girl’s volleyball coach?’ Rick asked disbelievingly. ‘Wasn’t she married?’  
‘Come on,’ Shane’s blush was slowly fading and his devilish smile wouldn’t leave. He glanced at Tala and she smiled, trying not to laugh as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead.  
‘You know what, I just remembered why I never asked you about this stuff,’ Rick said, shaking his head.  
‘Well, let’s talk about your high school love life then.’  
‘Well, that’s a short conversation that might already be over. Tala, you tell us about yours,’ Rick tried to say but Shane interjected.  
‘It was Holly right? Nope that was me too,’ He laughed and Tala shook her head. ‘Then there was, uh, Sheila. That’s when you lied.’  
‘I never lied about Sheila, I just got mixed up about what each base meant,’ Rick explained.  
‘Well just so you know, home-run, that usually means sexually, you know, like, that’s intercourse,’ Shane said and Tala smiled, her eyebrows raised towards Rick.  
‘I’m aware of that now.’  
‘Thing that you did is a ground rule double or something.’  
‘I’m aware of the judge’s ruling. Tala, what about you?’ Rick turned to her and her smile widened.  
‘I probably got around a bit too much,’ She said slyly and Rick raised his eyebrow.  
‘I didn't expect that,’ He said and she snorted.  
‘I wasn’t some goody-two-shoes. I was lucky I didn’t get caught doing half the stuff I did or I’d never have been able to get a job with you two. I was a terrible teen,’ Tala said with a wicked smile and Shane tutted slowly.  
‘What are we going to do with you Tala?’ He said and she held out her free wrist.  
‘I’m guilty, officer,’ She said in a high pitched voice and he shook his head with a smile. Then he looked away, his smile turning sad.  
‘We shouldn’t be talking about this stuff. That life, it’s gone and everyone in it,’ He said quietly, walking ahead and Tala put her arm back to her side. ‘Sheila, Mary-Anne, Mrs Kelly. It’s like we’re old folk, all the people in our stories are all dead.’  
‘Well, we can’t just forget them,’ Said Rick.  
‘Yeah, we can,’ Shane shot him down. ‘It’s hard enough accepting what’s happened without digging up the past. I’ll tell you what it is - it’s nostalgia. It’s like a drug. It keeps you from seeing things the way they are and that’s a danger when you got people depending on you.’  
Shane was right, of course. Rick looked at Tala and she didn’t meet his eye. She felt faintly sick and put her hand on the tree next to her. The heat was overbearing. The humidity pressed down on her like a wet blanket. She didn’t look at either of the men, instead staring at the piece of cloth hanging out of Shane’s pocket.   
‘What, you think I don’t know that?’ He said eventually.  
‘I don’t know,’ Shane said simply. Tala dimly noticed that they had stopped. ‘What are we doing? Got every able body at your disposal out scouring these woods for a little girl we all know is likely dead.’  
‘What, you think we should abandon the search?’  
‘That’s not my call, is it?’ Shane said and kept walking.  
‘I’m asking you,’ Rick said and then he turned to Tala. ‘What about you, what do you think?’  
Tala stayed silent. She glanced at Rick momentarily before shrugging and pushing herself off of the tree as they walked on, her muscles protesting angrily. Her godforsaken headache was coming back as she raised her shotgun, scanning the surrounding foliage again for any new arrivals.  
‘Survival Rick, it means making hard decisions,’ Shane called out. ‘But you've got this knack, man, you spread us thinner and thinner. I’m trying to save lives here and you’re out saving cats from trees.’  
Rick stormed forward and Tala sighed quietly, keeping her eyes on the forest. ‘Is that what you think Sophia is, a cat in a tree?’  
‘He didn’t mean it like that,’ Tala said and Rick shot her a look. As he turned back Tala scowled at him, refraining from making any gestures and she wiped her head again, glancing up at the sun.  
‘Hey, don’t do that, man, don’t twist my words,’ Shane said, looking stern. ‘How many times we get called up to look for a missing child? You got seventy-two hours, seventy-two hours and then you’re looking for a body. And that was before. I mean, you honestly think we’re gonna find Sophia alive?’  
‘Are you that sure we won’t?’  
‘Being completely honest?’  
‘Well I’m counting on you to be,’ Rick said and he looked to Tala again. ‘Tala, come on.’  
‘I don’t know what you want me to say, Rick,’ She replied finally, shaking her head. ‘As much as I hate to say it, and I really fucking hate it, but, I agree with Shane. Time was against us in every case we worked on before and it hasn’t exactly turned into our best friend since everything went to shit. Seventy-two hours. If we want to keep hope alive then we’re looking for an intact body that hasn’t been eaten yet.’ Rick paled and he looked between the two. Tala didn’t meet his eye, feeling terrible for even thinking about it, let alone admitting the thought. Her mind went to Carol, how she must be feeling. At least with her own daughter’s it had been quick. She hadn’t had to worry about them, it just happened. She came home and they were bitten and then they were dead. Sophia had been lost in the woods for four days now. Tala didn’t think she would be able to stand the not knowing. Tears came to her eyes and she sniffed somewhat angrily, wiping her eyes as she turned away from the men, looking through the foliage.  
‘It’s mad, man. Alive or not, Sophia, she only matters to the degree where she don’t drag the rest of us down,’ Shane said as he looked around. Rick glowered and didn’t say anything. Tala adjusted the grip on her shotgun as she sniffed. ‘I thought you wanted honest,’ He said curtly. He walked forward slightly before batting at a branch and turning back again. ‘We should have just moved on, man. We’d be halfway to Fort Benning right now and Carl wouldn’t have gotten shot! You said so yourself, when we’re out here, we’re risking lives. Your own son almost died! Otis, he paid that bill. What the hell are we still doing this for?’ His voice raised and threatened to crack and Tala chewed on her lip, her anxiety slowly becoming too much to bear.  
‘I had her in my hands, Shane. She looked in my eyes and trusted me. I failed her and if I hadn’t she wouldn’t be out her. I think she’s still alive and I’m not gonna write her off,’ Rick said somewhat desperately.  
Tala stuck the shotgun under her arm, taking out the packet of cigarettes Glenn brought her. She lit one with a shaking hand before steadily taking a draw. Rick looked over to her as she exhaled and she shook her head, more tears in her eyes. Shane didn’t say anything. He looked to a tree and scoffed.  
‘That’s blue. That’s Andrea and T-Dog. Looks like we wandered into their grid,’ He said simply and walked on. Tala looked at Rick, biting her lip once more before sighing and walking after Shane. They walked back to the farm in silence and Tala kept her eye out for any walkers, only speaking once to ask for Shane’s water bottle. Once they were up the driveway, they handed their guns to Shane and Rick still looked angry. He went over to Lori and Tala followed after Shane.  
‘If it makes you feel any better, I agree with you,’ She said quietly and he looked back at her. His expression softened and he gave her a small smile.   
‘Thanks. I don’t know why Rick keeps on doing this,’ He said, looking over at Rick and Lori. ‘I get that we have to keep hope alive but, well …’  
He trailed off and Tala looked at Rick, too. ‘Hope is not a plan.’  
Shane looked back at her and nodded. ‘Hope is not a plan.’


	13. Guilt

#  Thirteen 

##  **_G u i l t_ **

_ /ɡɪlt/ _

_ Noun - A feeling of having committed wrong or failed in an obligation. _

✦ 

Tala went over to Carol and they made their way into Hershel’s house. They began making the dinner for everyone and Tala found herself smiling despite her headache, the effect of the heat subsiding slightly in the cool house. Lori joined them and after a few minutes Tala saw Hershel and Maggie talking in the dining room. He looked stern and Maggie looked slightly uncomfortable, glancing back at the women in the kitchen every now and again. If Tala didn’t know any better, she would say that Hershel was getting annoyed with them. The elderly man caught her eye and she looked away hurriedly. She felt another wave of dizziness coming on and she excused herself from the other women.  
As Tala walked outside she heard Andrea shouting the alarm for a walker. Tala hurried over, wary of the possibility of fainting, and the rest of the men jog over too.  
‘Just the one?’ Rick asked and Andrea looked through her binoculars.   
‘I bet I can nail it from here,’ She said, picking up Dale’s rifle.   
‘No, no,’ Rick said sharply. ‘Andrea, put the gun down.’  
‘You’ll be lucky if you don’t get floored by that,’ Tala called up to her and she glared at her. ‘Don’t try anything dumb.’  
‘You better let us deal with this,’ Shane said, handing Tala her shotgun and she eyed his exposed chest, nodding. Rick kept his tone that he had been using with them in the woods earlier.  
‘Shane, hold up, Hershel wants to deal with walkers,’ He said urgently and Tala looked at him with a frown.  
‘What for, man? We’ve got it covered,’ Shane said and they ran into the field. The walker stumbled towards them as they sprinted, Shane lagging slightly and pain causing a hitch in his breath. Tala ran by his side and refrained from grabbing his hand. They slowed down as Rick aimed his pistol and Tala lowered her gun.  
‘Daryl?’ She asked quietly as they stared. Daryl was standing before them, covered in dirt and blood and wearing a rope around his neck with what looks like walker ears hanging from it. Before Tala could come to the conclusion of whether or not he was alive, he managed to speak.  
‘That’s the third time one of you have pointed that thing at my head,’ He spat. ‘You gonna pull the trigger or what?’  
Shane leant against the pickaxe he brought and Tala sighed in relief. Rick lowered his gun when suddenly a gunshot echoed through the air. Tala ducked slightly while spinning around violently to faintly see Andrea lying on the top of the RV. She cursed and rushed to Daryl, her vision and muscles protesting, checking his head to see that Andrea managed to graze the side of it.   
Tala heard Rick screaming at Andrea behind her back as she realised that Daryl had another wound to his torso that he managed to tourniquet with some cloth. Shane handed her some more material from his own shirt and she held it against Daryl’s head as she hauled him up with Shane taking the majority of his weight. Andrea sprinted across the field and Tala heard faint screaming coming from the farm as Daryl went unconscious in their arms.  
‘Oh my god,’ Andrea shouted. ‘Oh my god, is he dead?’ She panted, terror etched in her face and Tala adjusted her grip on Daryl.  
‘Just unconscious,’ Rick explained. ‘You grazed him.’  
‘Look at him, what the hell happened, he’s wearing ears!’ Glenn said and Rick went silent as Shane and Tala kept carrying Daryl.  
‘Let’s keep that to ourselves,’ Rick eventually said and tugged off the necklace Daryl was wearing.  
‘Guys,’ T-Dog called and Tala looked back fleetingly before they all stopped. ‘Isn’t this Sophia’s?’  
Tala glanced at Shane and saw that he didn’t look happy but she was more focused on trying to get Daryl back to the farm. She started walking again and when Andrea got in her way for the fourth time she had to refrain from shouting at her.  
‘Do you mind?’ She snapped and Andrea faltered slightly. Tala rolled her eyes as they got to the edge of the fence and Hershel looked livid.   
‘What the hell is going on here?’ He demanded and Tala looked at Andrea pointedly.   
‘I think Andrea has the answer you’re looking for,’ She said before nodding her head to the farm house. ‘But for now we need to get Daryl somewhere safe.’   
Hershel hesitated for a split second before hurrying back into his home. They settled Daryl into a bed before he got cleaned up. He woke up fairly quickly and took the cloth Tala had pressed against his wound with a short nod. Tala sat beside Shane, who’s hand was over his mouth. He hadn’t said anything since they had came in there but he took her hand and started brushing his thumb against the back of it from habit.  
‘Where was the doll?’ Rick asked as Hershel looked at Daryl’s chest.  
‘I found it washed up on the creek bed, right there. She must have dropped it crossing it somewhere.’  
Rick looked back at Shane and Tala. ‘Cuts the grid almost in half.’  
‘Yeah, you’re welcome,’ Daryl said and Rick looked forward again as Tala leaned against Shane lightly. She looked at Daryl’s torso before running her hand through her hair, her mind skipping back to the argument the three of them had while they were out. Daryl had found the doll, but why would Sophia have left it? The only reason Tala could see was because someone or, more likely, something had grabbed her and she had dropped it out of panic.   
‘How’s he looking?’ Rick asked Hershel and Tala drew herself back into the room, an uneasy feeling in the usual place in her chest.  
‘I had no idea we’d be going through the antibiotics so quickly,’ Hershel said as he finished some stitches. ‘Any idea what happened to my horse?’  
‘Yeah, the one that almost killed me? If it was smart it would have left the country,’ Daryl said and Hershel turned impatiently.  
‘We call that one Nelly, as in Nervous Nelly. Now, I could have told you she’d have thrown you if you had bothered to ask,’ He replied and walked up to Rick. ‘It’s a wonder you people have survived this long.’   
Tala smiled slightly, without any warmth, as Shane just grunted. They went out into the hall and Lori got up hurriedly.  
‘He’ll be alright,’ Rick said and Lori nodded. They all begin to walk away but Shane stayed at the doorway, leaning against the frame.  
‘I hate to say it, but I’m with Hershel on this one,’ He started and Tala looked back at him. He looked past her, but not before he cast a look her way, almost guiltily. ‘We can’t keep going out there, not after this.’  
‘You’d quit now?’ Rick asked incredulously, walking back towards him down the hall and Tala sat down on the chair, crossing her legs. ‘Daryl just risked his life to bring back the first hard evidence we’ve had.’  
‘That’s one way to look at it,’ Shane countered, tilting his head slightly. ‘The way I see it, Daryl almost died today for a doll.’  
‘Yeah, I know how you see it,’ Rick practically spat and he walked away with a contemptuous look on his face. Tala stared after him, her arms slack and she refrained from chewing her lip.   
‘Rick,’ She called out but he didn’t even glance back. He walked out of the house and Tala sighed in annoyance.  
Shane looked to Lori, who was looking at him incredulously. ‘I’m not out here to be a hard case, I’m just being realistic.’  
Lori snorted and Tala looked back at the two.  
‘He’s just gotta start making the tough calls,’ Shane started walking away and Tala got up to leave too. ‘You know I’m right.’  
‘I may not agree with all of his choices, but I respect him,’ Lori said, standing in front of Shane and Tala shook her head. ‘I’ve got both of yours in mind and your way isn’t harder. It’s the easiest thing in the world to cut our losses and to not help. You keep telling yourself you’re making the tough calls, you’re really just trying to justify -  
‘The only thing I care about in this world is you, and Carl, and Tala,’ Shane interrupted and Tala sighed before walking down through the house, but Shane’s voice followed her. ‘I apologise if I appear to be insensitive to the needs of others, but you see, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep the three of you safe.’  
‘Even abandoning a lost child. Really?’ Tala heard Lori breathe and she walked out onto the porch before she heard anymore. She saw Andrea sat by the edge and groaned internally. Leave one bad situation and move onto the next. Perfect. Andrea scrambled up when she saw Tala and looked at her expectantly as she lit another cigarette.  
‘What?’ Tala asked, trying in vain to keep the distaste from her voice.   
Andrea looked at her imploringly before speaking. ‘Is he okay?’  
‘He’s going to be fine. You need to work on your listening skills,’ Tala didn’t look back at Andrea as she went down the stairs.   
She dimly registered some strange noise Andrea made out of indignance but she went over to her tent, finished her cigarette and then went inside and lay on her bed, her muscles still aching from yesterday’s activity. Tala lay her arms over her eyes and groaned loudly before rolling over onto her side.   
Sophia’s doll came into her mind and Tala clenched her eyes shut, as if that would do anything. She was almost certainly dead, that was a given at this point, as much as Tala didn’t want to admit it. The only thing they could do now was reunite Carol with her daughter’s body, and Tala wasn’t going to stop until they managed to find it. She sighed lightly before looking over to her bag. Her perfume bottle sat at the top of the pile of clothes hastily tidied into it and she knelt down on the floor. Tala sprayed some of the comforting scent on her before pulling out the old blanket she had brought with her. She wrapped it around herself and curled up into a ball, her head going into her knees slightly, her muscles still crying out with certain movements.   
Tears slipped down her cheeks as Tala found herself thinking of her daughters. They had been so helpless, so scared, when they had died. That’s exactly how Sophia must have been feeling like. Tala couldn’t bear to think that she was still alive and going through this alone, day by day. She didn’t even have her doll with her anymore. The zip at the front of the tent started pulling and Tala wiped her face quickly before someone stepped in.  
‘It’ll be dinner soon,’ Shane said and Tala sighed.  
‘Crap, I forgot I was meant to be helping,’ She said thickly, not turning to look at him.  
‘I think Carol has managed with Patricia and Beth,’ Shane said before pausing. ‘Are you okay?’  
Tala nodded before turning to him and giving him a shaky smile. ‘I’m grand.’  
He limped forward and sat on the floor with her before hugging her gently. ‘What’s wrong?’  
Tala shook her head but hugged him back, letting the blanket fall off her shoulders. ‘Nothing, I suppose, I was just thinking about Sophia,’ She sighed and looked up at Shane. ‘I don’t know how Carol can manage it.’  
‘She’s strong, just like you,’ He said after a moment, kissing the top of Tala’s head gently. She smiled slightly and suddenly she leant in and kissed him. Tala slowly sat on his lap and his arms wrapped around her waist. Tala hesitated for a second but Shane kept pressing into it and she curled her hands around the back of his neck. They continued for a moment before Tala pulled away and Shane smiled his devilish smile again.  
‘What was that for?’ He asked and Tala bit her lip lightly, breathless.  
‘I’m not sure but I’m not against it,’ She replied with a smile of her own and he kissed her again quickly.  
‘We should probably head to dinner,’ He said and he got up. Tala groaned slightly as she got up and Shane smiled slightly, shaking his head as Tala followed him out of the tent. He took her hand as they walked up to the house and they sat down next to each other with everyone at Hershel’s table.   
Everyone tucked into the huge dinner rather quietly. Rick kept giving Shane dirty looks from opposite them before he glanced at Tala and she shook her head a fraction, her a slight frown on her face before Glenn turned from the small table he was sat at with Maggie, Beth and Jimmy.   
‘Does anybody know how to play guitar?’ He asked and Hershel put his knife and fork down before looking at him. Shane nudged Tala but she shook her head again, watching the vet and feeling uneasy. ‘Dale found a cool one. Someone’s gotta know how to play.’   
‘Tala does,’ Shane piped up and she glared at him slightly. ‘She would only play if we got her drunk enough but even so, she’s very good.’  
‘Oh, cool! I didn’t know that about you,’ Glenn said and Tala shook her head, waving her hand to him slight before Patricia spoke quietly, looking straight down at her plate.  
‘Otis did.’  
Shane instantly tensed beside Tala, looking over at the older woman and Tala glanced at him. He looked like something inside of him had died a little bit and Tala put her hand on his leg under the table.   
‘Yes,’ Hershel said. ‘And he was very good too.’  
Glenn turned back to his table awkwardly and Shane sighed quietly. The rest of the dinner went by without anyone else saying anything other than thank you to Carol. She went to give Daryl some food as the rest of them trickled out back to their tents. Shane and Tala went back in silence but he gripped her hand tightly. He sat on the bed as Tala got changed and put his head in his hands.  
‘Maybe it could have been different,’ He said quietly and Tala sat next to him, taking his hand again.   
‘Maybe, but you can’t change that now,’ She said gently and he looked up at her with a pained look on his face.  
‘I’m a monster,’ He choked and Tala slipped onto his lap, pulling him into her arms and kissing the top of his head.  
‘You were doing what you thought you had to in order to save Carl. What would have happened if you didn’t, huh?’ She reasoned as he held on to her. He didn’t reply, he just breathed heavily into Tala’s shoulder. She didn’t say anything more, simply because she didn’t know what to say, but she stroked the back of Shane’s head gently until he pulled away, sniffing slightly and looking at her.  
‘You’re right, I just feel so … so awful,’ He murmured and Tala nodded.  
‘Of course you do, but that just proves that you’re human, right? You’re not a monster,’ She said and he looked up at her.  
‘You really think so?’  
‘You really think I’m wrong?’


	14. Weapon

#  Fourteen

##  **_W e a p o n_ **

_ /ˈwɛp(ə)n/ _

_ Noun - A thing designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage. _

✦

Tala laid awake for hours. She stared at the top of the tent, emptiness slowly settling into her chest, watching a leaf outside scrape along the nylon cover. The wind was too weak to blow it away so it skipped around aimlessly. Her mind had quietened down from the furious thoughts that constantly bombarded her in every second of peace. Any moment to herself, although briefly allowed, was always ruined by the darkness and grief that came creeping in like tunnel vision.   
She slowly sat up and ran her fingers through her hair before she searched for a water bottle in the dark. Her hands scrabbled around the small camping table Shane had brought with them before trying the floor. She didn’t find anything and sighed, sitting up again.  
Her head cracked against the top of the table and she shuffled back, her hand going to her head as she cursed. Rustling sounded from behind her and she went quiet, mentally punching herself in the face for being so loud.  
‘What happened?’ Shane asked quietly, his voice gruff. Tala looked back at him to see that his dark figure was sat up and watching her.  
‘I hit my head,’ She said as she went back on to the bed, her head throbbing. ‘I was looking for some water.’  
‘There’s some right here,’ He said, reaching over to the floor next to his bed and flipping a bottle in his hands. Being so close to him, Tala could see him smile as she sighed frustratedly.   
‘Thanks,’ She murmured as he handed it to her and she took a few sips, her mouth and throat instantly feeling better. She lay back down, chucking the bottle on the floor, and Shane lay close to her. ‘I’m sorry if I woke you.’  
He didn’t say anything for a moment. ‘I was already awake. It’s okay.’  
‘Oh,’ Is all she could say. The two were quiet for a moment before Shane took her hand.  
‘I’m glad I didn’t leave, you know,’ He whispered and Tala looked up, trying to see that leaf again.   
‘Because of Carl and Lori?’  
‘No,’ He quickly replied, but then he hesitated. ‘Well, that’s only a small part of it. Mostly because of you.’  
Tala sighed and turned to face him. He gave her a small smile but she bit her lip, wanting to think of anything other than Lori. ‘I don’t think we should stop looking for her,’ She whispered and Shane’s smile flickered.  
‘But, earlier you were agreeing with me,’ He said and Tala shook her head.  
‘Yeah, I was agreeing that she’s dead,’ She said and Shane frowned slightly.  
‘So, what?’ He asked. ‘We just keep going out there until we find a body?’  
‘That’s exactly what we do,’ Tala said, staring at him. ‘How could we stop?’  
‘We’re just spreading our resources rather thin, we’re putting the rest of the group at risk for a dead girl,’ Shane said heatedly and Tala looked away, scoffing and shaking her head.  
‘What if it was Carl?’ She said after a moment. Shane didn’t take his eyes off of Tala as she looked back at him, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over. ‘What if he was the one out there and we had got to this point? You’d keep looking.’  
‘Yeah, I’d keep looking but that’s -’  
‘That’s different, right,’ She said, a tear slipping down her cheek and Shane shook his head. ‘It shouldn't make a difference. A mother has lost her child. She’s feeling the exact same I do about Ash, and Eliza. Worse, even.’  
Shane went to caress Tala’s cheek but she moved away slightly, staring at him before shaking her head. He did it anyway, wiping away the tear before nodding slightly.   
‘You’re right,’ He finally said. ‘I’m being cold, and selfish. We should keep looking and find the body.’  
Tala wiped her eyes, sniffing slightly as she realised that they had both completely accepted that she was dead. She took another sip of water before lying down, feeling her eyes finally become heavy and Shane wrapped his arm around her before they managed to get to sleep.

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

When Tala woke up, the tent was empty and the sun was high in the summer sky, the heat already climbing. She dressed quickly and hurried out, rubbing her eyes as the light hit her through a gap in the trees. She walked over to Rick as he carried the map of the grids and he looked down at her shirt while raising his eyebrows.   
‘You really like his shirts, huh?’ He said quietly and Tala looked down before blushing furiously.  
‘I thought it was mine,’ She mumbled as they went to one of the cars and Shane came over with Jimmy. He eyed her with a small smile but the smile vanished as Rick unrolled the map.  
‘Since Daryl found the doll, it cuts the grids we need to search almost in half. This means we’re looking more over here,’ Rick gestured to an area of the map that Tala didn't really pay very much attention to. ‘For our new search routes.’  
‘There are different trails out that way,’ Jimmy said. ‘They used to be popular with walkers. Actual people, walkers, not like -’  
‘So we’re still looking at going miles away from the farm,’ Shane interjected and Jimmy went quiet. Tala gave the young boy a small smile in an apology as Shane rubbed the back of his head. Rick ignored him and the group were quiet for a moment  
‘Have you got any suggestions?’ Rick turned to look at Tala and she leant over the map slightly.   
‘You told her something about keeping the sun on her left shoulder, right?’ She said and he nodded, watching her. She looked at the grid he had roughly drawn out and gestured. ‘The walking trails Jimmy was talking about, only two go by the creek and they both seem to go past the farmhouse. If she’s stuck to what you told her, she’ll have had to go off this path into the woods again because it loops, but this other one goes up further to a road.’   
Rick sucked the air between his teeth as Tala pointed at the different routes on the map before Shane looked over towards Glenn and whistled. ‘Hey, peachman!’ He called out and Glenn turned around before coming over slightly begrudgingly.   
‘The creek flows south past that farmhouse Daryl found, maybe Sophia dropped the doll there and the current brought it downstream,’ Rick suggested.  
‘So, what, you think she went up this road here and then she went north?’ Shane asked, leaning against the car and looking at Tala.   
‘It’s a shout,’ She said after a hesitation, looking back at Shane to avoid Rick’s eye. She highly doubted Sophia would have been alive if she went anywhere past the farmhouse.  
‘Yeah,’ Rick said before turning to Jimmy. ‘What’s up that way?’  
‘A housing development went up there, maybe 10 years ago,’ Jimmy said and Tala sighed, running a hand through her hair and refraining from shaking her head. Prime property for a shit-load of walkers.   
‘Take a run up there after gun practice,’ Rick looked back at her and Shane. ‘I’ll hold down the fort here, but don’t go alone, either of you. After what went down with Daryl, I don’t want anyone going out there alone. We stay in pairs.’  
Tala nodded, somewhat unenthusiastic, as Glenn offered the four some peaches. They each took one and Shane turned to Tala while he bit down.   
‘So you’re coming to scope the place out?’ He asked, wiping away some juice that spilled onto his chin.   
She smiled slightly, wiping away some extra that he missed. ‘Of course I am.’  
Glenn stared at Rick for a moment, then looked back at Lori. Shane and Tala turned to watch and Glenn looked nervous. A moment of awkward silence went by.  
‘My binoculars?’ Shane asked eventually and Glenn seemed to start slightly.   
‘Yeah,’ He said hurriedly before handing Shane the binoculars. ‘Okay, bye.’  
As he hurried away Rick and Shane laugh slightly in bemusement but Tala looked after him in concern. She turned back around without questioning as she heard a new voice.  
‘We’d like to join you for gun training today,’ Beth said and Shane looked uncomfortable at the sight of Patricia.  
‘Hershel’s been very clear, I can’t involve any of you in what we do without his okay,’ Rick said and Tala finished off her peach quietly.  
‘He doesn’t like it but he consented,’ Beth pressed and Tala looked at her sweet face. Such a shame to be brought into this mess when her life had only just started.  
‘Otis was the only one who knew guns,’ Patricia said and Shane tensed beside Tala. ‘Now that he’s gone, we wanna know how to protect ourselves. Her father saw the sense in that.’ Shane walked away to Carl and Tala looked at Rick.   
He paused for a moment before giving them a small smile. ‘No offence, but I’ll ask Hershel myself.’  
‘Are you looking for that little girl today?’ Beth asked, a sadness in her voice and Rick nodded.   
‘Her momma is a brave woman,’ Patricia added and Tala smiled sadly.  
‘She’s one of the bravest I know,’ She replied quietly and Shane came over with Carl, holding a pistol in his hand. Rick and Tala turned, frowning, as Carl looked at them guiltily.  
‘Carl was carrying this,’ Shane said and Carl looked down, ashamed. Lori and Dale came over but Hershel’s people left. Tala sat Carl down at one of the benches as Lori checked the gun and put it in her waistband. Shane had explained the situation and she was furious.   
‘How the hell did this happen?’ She asked, staring around at them all. Tala leaned against the tree beside Shane and he fiddled with his cap.  
‘Well it’s my fault,’ Dale said quietly. ‘I let him into the RV. He said he wanted a walkie, did you send him for one?’  
‘So on top of everything else, he lied?’ Lori looked shocked and she whispered to Rick. ‘What’s got into him?’ Tala bit her tongue but sighed quietly and Shane glanced at her. Lori really expected Carl to be unaffected by everything that had happened over the last few months? It was hardly a shock he would be growing up a lot faster from the angel boy he used to be.  
‘He wants to learn how to shoot, he asked me to teach him,’ Shane said, looking warily at Lori. ‘Now, it’s none of my business, but I’m happy to do it. It’s your call.’  
‘Well, I’m not comfortable with it,’ Lori said almost instantly and Tala ran her hand through her hair, watching Shane play with his hat. Rick and Shane exchanged a look between each other and for a moment no one said anything.  
‘Oh, don’t make me out to be the unreasonable one here,’ Lori said, looking between everyone. She stared at Tala and Tala shrugged, so she turned to her husband. ‘Rick?’  
‘Look, I know, I have my concerns too, but --’  
‘There’s no but!’ Lori interrupted and Tala worried just how much the argument was going to exacerbate. ‘He was just shot! He’s just back on his feet, and he wants a gun?’  
‘Better than him being afraid of them!’ Rick argued and Shane and Tala glanced at each other. She raised her eyebrows and he shook his head slightly. ‘There are guns in camp for a reason, he should learn to handle them safely.’  
‘I don’t want my kid walking around with a gun,’ Lori said stubbornly before looking at Tala again. ‘Tala, how would you feel if it were the twins?’   
Tala blinked and Shane stood closer to her, putting his arm across her defensively. ‘What?’ She managed to say quietly, her voice catching in her throat slightly.   
Lori swallowed and Shane stayed where he was, almost as though he was holding Tala back. ‘Well, I just thought, as a mother, you’d be able to -’  
‘Lori,’ Tala interrupted quietly and she stopped talking instantly. ‘My daughter’s died when they were barely three years old. They died. They’re not here anymore. I’m not a mother anymore. It will never be my daughters in this situation. That makes me rather unqualified to help, don’t you think?’  
Lori’s eyes were wide and she looked like she was about to cry. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t think,’ Lori finally said and Tala shrugged. There was a moment of silence and she stared at Lori, the feeling of being punched in the stomach fading slightly. She pushed Shane’s arm down as Lori turned back to her husband. Shane took her hand and held it tightly, his thumb gently stroking hers and an angry look in his eye.  
‘We can’t let him go around without protection,’ Rick finally said and soon enough Lori was back in argument mode.  
‘He’s as safe as he’ll ever be right here,’ She practically spat. ‘Look, everything you’re saying makes perfect sense. It just feels wrong. I mean, I didn’t feel good about him following you out into the woods and I wish I’d said something. I should have gone with my gut.’ She becomes more gentle as she spoke.  
‘He’s growing up, thank god,’ Rick kept arguing. ‘We need to start treating him more like an adult.’  
‘Then he needs to act like one. He’s not mature enough to handle a gun!’  
‘I’m not going to play with it, Mom, it’s not a toy,’ Carl stood up and came over to the adults. ‘I’m sorry I disappointed you, but I want to look for Sophia and I want to defend our camp. I can’t do that without a gun.’ Tala smiled slightly as Carl defended himself and she realised that she was proud of him. He reminded her so much of a nephew, and the thought of still having some family made her happy.  
‘Shane’s the best instructor I know,’ Rick continued. ‘I’ve seen him teach kids younger than Carl.’  
They all looked between each other and Lori sighed before walking over to Carl. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and she looked down at him sternly.  
‘You will take this seriously and you will behave responsibly, and if I hear from anyone in this camp that you are not living up to our expectations -’  
‘He won’t let you down,’ Rick said sharply and Carl nodded.  
‘Yeah,’ He said and Lori sighed again before patting her son's shoulders. Tala and Shane got the guns ready from Dale before almost everyone headed out to training. Tala got into Shane’s car and rubbed her head out of habit as Shane waited outside.  
‘You coming?’ He called out to Glenn and Tala saw Glenn shrug.  
‘I gotta help Dale clean the spark-plugs on the RV, says he’s going to teach me mechanics,’ He replied and she frowned slightly. He sounded awfully hesitant and unsure. ‘I should probably go find him.’  
‘You’ve found me,’ Dale said from the swinging chair beside the RV. Glenn looked back at him with a strange look on his face and nobody said anything for a moment. ‘He’s a good learner,’ Dale continued and Shane shrugged.   
‘Alright,’ He said and got in, shaking his head. ‘What was all that about?’  
‘He must have something on his mind,’ Tala said as the two wave them off. She waved back and settled into her seat. After they were on the road, Shane took her hand and she smiled slightly. She glanced over at him and saw he was smiling too and she felt a lightness she hadn’t felt in a while. She could almost forget everything that had happened. The trees outside swayed gently and sure, the caravan of cars on one side of the road was a bit weird but it could be looked past.   
Neither of them said anything for the short journey, sitting in a comfortable silence. As they parked up at the field of the makeshift range, Shane walked around to Tala and gave her a quick kiss. She laughed slightly before kissing him again and getting the guns out of the back. Tala noticed Andrea’s look of distaste and she smiled to herself slightly. You had to take the small pleasures in this life, like making the people you really didn’t like pissed off.  
Tala set up some tin cans and empty wine bottles as targets while Shane and Rick taught the group about guns and the theory behind them. She heard Shane talking about the safety and proper grip before she went over and her gestured to her.  
‘Tala’s going to give an example shot,’ He said with a smile and she looked at him with a frown.  
‘I am?’ She asked and Rick laughed lightly before handing her a pistol. She smiled slightly, feeling the weight of the weapon before turning back around and standing by the fence. Tala drew the weapon, aimed down the barrel, took a quick shot at the bottom of the can, flipped it and watched it fall. All in less than five seconds. She move over slightly before turning to the group. ‘So what do you do first?’  
Shane and Rick stood back as Tala taught the group step by step. She saw the smile on Shane’s face and she tried to avoid blushing. ‘This will sound strange if you haven’t shot a gun before but squeeze the trigger, don’t pull it. If you’re interacting with walkers this is paramount. If you’re using a shotgun, you’ll pull the barrel up and miss your target pretty much completely. When you’re practising here, don’t rush. Make sure you’re happy with your shot before you make it. Over time, you’ll get a hell of a lot better at being able to do it without thinking,’ She smiled to the group, glanced at the can and almost lazily shot at it. The can fell and she turned back to the group and tucked the pistol into a holster on her leg. The others looked impressed before they started practising and Tala stood beside Lori as she watched Rick help Carl. Tala sighed as she watched the young boy and Lori avoided her eye.  
‘I’m sorry if I sounded harsh, back at the farm,’ She said quietly and Lori looked at her.  
‘No, please, don’t apologise,’ She said, shocked and Tala frowned. ‘I’m sorry, really, I should never have brought Ashley and Eliza into it. That was wrong on my part.’  
‘It’s alright. I’ll be honest, though, if my daughters grew up in this world and they were Carl’s age, even if they were younger, I probably wouldn’t be against it. If, god forbid, he ever ends up by himself, he’ll be able to protect himself. I know you have your concerns but Carl’s a smart kid, and look at the environment we’re practising in. Your boy couldn’t be in better hands,’ Tala smiled and Lori sighed before nodding.  
‘I know. It’s rational, it is, it’s not a bad idea. I just worry,’ She said quietly and, surprisingly, Tala gave her a hug.  
‘I understand that. Is everything okay?’ She asked and Lori hesitated before smiling again.  
‘Everything’s great,’ She said and Tala nodded as she went back to watching Carl.   
After multiple runs back into the field to set up targets, everyone stopped after they ran out of bottles. Tala had helped Carol and Beth with their aim, gently coaching them and by the end of the session both of them seemed confident. Tala's headache came back with a vengeance after an hour or so of the persistent shooting and she tidied away the weapons, making sure the safety was on for each of them as most of the group headed back to the farm.  
Shane came over to her and gave her a smile. ‘Saw you were talking to Lori,’ He said slyly and Tala zipped up the gun bag.  
‘Don’t get used to it,’ She said and tucked the bag into the boot of his car. Andrea waited, looking vaguely nervous and Tala raised her eyebrow to Shane.  
‘Rick was thinking we could help Andrea with moving targets now,’ He explained and she sighed but didn’t say anything. ‘There’s a spot not too far from here that I thought would be good.’  
Tala got in the passenger seat of the car, pausing before she closed the door. ‘Let’s get going then.’  
Shane looked seemingly relieved and he motioned to Andrea to get in. Shane drove them down a dirt road before parking and leading the women through a small break in the trees to a clearing overlooking another field. Tala's pistol felt reassuringly heavy on her leg and she watched curiously as Shane tied a rope around a stable looking branch. He looked around, found a stray log and gestured to Tala to help him pick it up. She hauled it up with him before he let go gently and started tying the rope around it. Once he was done, Tala let go too and the log swayed slightly.   
‘Smart,’ Is all she said as she lit a cigarette and Shane smirked before turning to Andrea.   
‘Let’s see how you do with this,’ He said before shoving the log. It swung backwards and forwards and Andrea missed all three of the shots she took.  
When Tala knew Andrea wasn’t going to take anymore shots, she moved forward to stop the target. ‘Stop thinking about it so much,’ She said and Andrea frowned.  
‘I’m not,’ She said and Tala gave her a thin smile before taking a drag.  
‘You are. I can see it in your face just before you shoot,’ Tala replied coolly, her dislike of Andrea becoming increasingly difficult to hide, and Andrea looked annoyed. ‘Let’s go again.’  
Tala pushed the log, slightly more gentle than how Shane done the first time and moved next to Andrea. She took three more shots before the log came to a stop.   
Tala looked at Shane, her eyebrows raised before looking back at Andrea. ‘Tell me something. You ever shoot before the whole apocalypse thing?’  
She shook her head, looking down at her pistol. ‘My father did.’  
‘He didn’t teach you?’  
‘No.’  
‘Did you think it was going to be easy?’ Tala asked and Andrea hesitated before giving a small nod. ‘Ah,’ Tala said slowly and she walked towards log, flicking away the finished cigarette, and taking a long look at the wood before pushing it again. ‘It’s only easy when you practice.’  
Andrea took two more shots before stopping again, sighing, and this time Shane walked up to it, taking the log in both hands and scanning it.   
‘Still a virgin,’ He said, looking at the log and Andrea seemed exasperated.   
‘The target’s too small,’ She said and Tala snorted as Shane turned to Andrea.  
‘Come on, that’s crap,’ He said shortly. ‘Half an hour ago I saw you nail a bulls-eye at twenty five feet.’  
‘It wasn’t moving!’  
‘You think a walkers going to hold still for you?’ Shane said with a curt smile. ‘Focus and reload.’  
The log swung again. Andrea missed. Again.  
‘Uh oh, that pissed you off,’ Shane said, the authority in his voice too heavy to miss. Tala watched him as he walked, looking like he was back on the job training new recruits. ‘Come on, girl, you’ve got walkers all around you, they’re in the woods, they’re in the RV! You’re going to need more than a damn screwdriver --’  
‘Stop badgering me!’ Andrea interrupted, looking annoyed that Shane was being so tough.  
‘You’re too damn emotional,’ Shane retorted. ‘You need to shut it down. Take all that guilt, that fear, that being pissed off and take it out.’  
‘Right, ‘cause you’re so calm.’  
Shane pulled out his pistol and fired instantly, dust flying off the log and it jerked violently. Tala moved forward beside him and Andrea looked shocked.  
‘You see that? See, Tala and I can be pissed off, we can be whistling dicks and we will always hit the target. But you? You shoot like a damn girl,’ Shane said and Tala cleared her throat. He shot her a smirk and she rolled her eyes. He looked back to Andrea with a somewhat smug smile. God, Tala wanted to kiss him so bad.  
‘You stand there and point your weapon, point like you point your finger, do not think about it. I am talking about muscle memory, girl, muscle memory,’ Shane raised his voice until he was shouting, pushing the target again. ‘Now go on shoot that son of a bitch!’  
Andrea shot.  
‘He’s coming for you!’  
Shot.  
‘He’s ten feet away! He’s nine feet away!’  
Shot.  
‘You shoot that son of a bitch, you shoot it!’   
Final shot.  
Shane went back to the log and Tala waited for him to count how many times she had managed to hit it but she hadn’t. She’d missed them all.  
Tala whistled slightly and Shane looked at her. ‘You show her how it’s done, Tala,’ He said and she paused for a moment before he pushed the log again.   
She shot quickly, counting as she went. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. She moved the Glock 36 slightly higher and shot the last round. The log fell to the ground, the knot still in tact but the rope above it frayed.   
‘See, that could have been the walker that shot Amy!’ Shane said heavily and Andrea’s look quickly turned from unhappily impressed to horror. Tala put her gun away, not bothering to reload. She looked back up at Shane while shaking her head slightly. Andrea walked away silently and Tala looked at the log again. Shane sighed before following her gaze.  
‘Why’d you have to say that? Now I can’t celebrate my incredible shot,’ She knelt down, examining the rope and Shane didn’t say anything for a moment. Tala looked back up at him and he gave a small smile.  
‘That is impressive,’ He said, looking at the knot before shaking his head. ‘Was it too far?’  
‘Just a tad,’ Tala said before sighing and looking at the car. ‘I suppose we need to go check out that housing estate?’  
‘Yeah, let’s go.’  
They got in the car silently and Shane started driving along the main road. They saw Andrea in the distance and Shane looked at Tala before she rolled her eyes.  
‘Invite her if you want,’ She said before looking out the window. ‘I’m not covering her ass if she fucks up, though.’  
‘Didn’t ask you to.’  
‘If it’s us or her, I’m picking us.’  
‘I wouldn’t want it any other way.’  
Tala looked back at Shane and he raised his eyebrows before pulling up to Andrea.   
‘Get in,’ She said out of the window and Andrea kept walking without saying anything. Tala looked back at Shane and he gestured for her to keep trying. She gave him a look before turning back.  
‘We’ll give you a lift,’ Tala wondered if Andrea could hear the forced politeness.  
‘My feet work just fine.’  
Shane slowed for a moment before revving the car and swerving in front of Andrea. Tala glared at him as she almost slammed back into her seat and Andrea stopped walking. Shane opened his door and stood up with a cocky smile on his face. Tala didn’t want to kiss him anymore, folding her arms and scowling.  
‘Hey, look, I’m just trying to give you a ride,’ Andrea kept walking and he began to walk after her. Tala groaned but stayed in her seat. She wouldn’t walk after Andrea. ‘See, what I did, I was just trying to show you what it’s like in real life, when shit starts to slide.’  
‘Is that an apology?’ Andrea said and Shane took off his cap, sighing.  
‘I crossed a line when I brought Amy into it,’ He said slowly. ‘Yeah, it’s an apology.’   
Tala clambered into the driver’s seat and started following behind the pair. She casually flicked through Shane’s CDs that he’d brought from his original car and put on some AC/DC. Shane glanced back and she stared into his eyes, moving her shoulders in time with the beat of Thunderstruck. She could see that he was trying to hold back a smile and she refrained from turning up the music  
The two said talked some more before eventually Andrea nodded and they came back to the car. Shane gave Tala the directions to the estate and she turned the music off. Once they were there, Tala wished she had kept it on in an attempt to distract her from the sight. It looked an awful lot like where she used to live before everything happened. She stared at the eerie houses, being careful around the rubbish bags strewn in the streets. She glanced at Shane before parking in the road. Tala didn’t move for a moment as Shane and Andrea got out, bracing herself.   
She saw Andrea draw her gun and gave Shane a look. He didn’t have anything to say and so Tala kept an eye out around the neighbourhood. She hated this. This looked like the fake-ass suburb Mark moved them in to. Not to say it wasn’t nice. It was just too manufactured.   
‘We go house to house, start at the far end and work our way back,’ Shane said quietly as they walked.  
‘If Sophia managed to get this far then she has a real shot, don’t you think?’ Andrea said with a small smile and neither Shane or Tala replied. They exchanged a grim look and Tala sighed.   
They enter the last house on the road and Andrea spoke softly as Shane and Tala drew their weapons. Tala quickly reloaded and kept her pistol low.  
‘Sophia?’ Andrea said quietly and Tala looked at Shane again, a sadness in her chest. He looked like he was about to say something before he shook his head and they checked the room.  
‘They walled off the hallway?’ Andrea asked.  
‘They tried to make a stand here,’ Shane explained.  
They climbed through a hole and walked through the house, Tala keeping up the rear with Andrea sticking close to Shane in the middle. A pile of dead walkers lay in the middle of the floor and they kept moving. Tala looked away from the scene, wishing she had went back to the farm with the others. They went down some stairs into a garage and Shane kicked the weak barricade down. Inside there were the charred remains of more people and the stench was worse than before. Tala’s eyes stung and she grimaced as she tried not to breathe too much. Shane looked disgusted and took off his cap, sighing slightly. Andrea held her hand up to her mouth and shook her head.  
‘She was never here, was she?’ She leant down. ‘I don’t know how to tell Carol this was another dead end.’  
Tala didn’t say anything, looking towards the garage door as her ears pricked instinctively. She held her hand up and the groans of walkers came through to meet them. She saw shuffling feet and looked to Shane.  
‘Let’s move,’ He said and Tala lead the way out, Shane keeping Andrea in the middle again. They walked back into the street hurriedly and Tala saw several walkers surrounding the car.  
‘Tala, take Andrea and cover that street,’ Shane instructed as he moved forward. ‘I’ll clear the car.’  
She hurried forward and shot down three walkers quickly as Shane did the same. Andrea took two shots at a walker and caught it in the chest.  
‘Stop thinking so much,’ Tala said, not caring if she was being harsh, shooting three more quickly before reloading. Andrea went to shoot again but only heard a click.  
‘Oh shit,’ She said and started fumbling to reload it. Tala shot the walker she had been aiming at, glaring back at Shane as he looked over to them.   
‘Focus now, clear the jam,’ He called to Andrea. ‘Focus.’  
Andrea sorted her gun out as a walker came closer towards her and she looked between Tala and Shane expectantly. ‘Are you kidding me?’ She said hysterically and Tala raised her eyebrows.  
‘Come on now, we’ve got your back,’ Shane says. ‘Now go.’ Andrea looked back at the walker and fired and Tala gave her a small, sarcastic round of applause. Andrea panted and looked shocked.  
‘Now that we’ve finished pissing our pants,’ Tala said coldly. ‘Let’s get out of here.’ She quickly went over to the car with Shane but Andrea shot three more walkers slowly.   
‘Come on, let’s go,’ Shane said and she looked around and hurried after them.  
She paused for a moment in front of the car and aimed slowly.  
‘Andrea, come on,’ Shane said impatiently and Andrea took a deep breath as a few more walkers come towards the three.   
‘For fuck’s sake,’ Tala said from the driver’s side and shot the two walkers Andrea was staring at. Andrea looked around to her, almost glaring and Tala gestured to the car. ‘I will leave without you.’  
She hurried into the car and Tala drove away quickly. Shane took her hand after she slowed down slightly and she couldn’t manage to smile. She thought of Carol and telling her that they didn’t find Sophia again and her heart broke for her. She thought about the charred bodies that they found in that garage. How had they died? Were they already walkers? Did they do that to themselves?  
They finally got back to the farm and only Andrea was vaguely happy, seemingly smiling about her progress with shooting. Dale and Carol stood by the drive nervously and Tala bit her lip as she got out.  
‘Anything?’ Carol asked and she looked at Tala imploringly. Tala looked away sadly, her words blocked in her throat as Shane sighed.  
‘Not today,’ He said quietly and Tala hugged Carol.  
‘I’m sorry,’ Andrea said. ‘We’ll cover more ground tomorrow.’  
‘What happened out there?’ Asked Dale and Shane sighed again.  
‘The place was overrun,’ He explained and Andrea nodded.   
‘Yeah,’ She looked at Shane with something strange in her eyes and Tala turned cold inside. She should have left her there. Carol and Andrea walked away and Tala looked to Dale.   
‘Give us a minute?’ She asked quietly and he nodded. Tala took Shane a little bit away and wrapped her arms around his neck.   
‘Is everything okay?’ He murmured and she nodded.  
‘I’m kind of glad you apologised,’ She said and Shane frowned slightly.  
‘You are?’  
‘Not for Andrea’s sake. I don’t think I could care less about that,’ She said softly with a smile and Shane raised his eyebrows. ‘For your sake. You’re decent, you’re not a monster.’  
Shane smiled slightly before kissing her gently and she tried to keep the smile. They began to go back over to the group, Shane holding Tala’s hand casually. Dale stared after them and began to follow.  
‘Shane,’ He started and Shane gave a small grunt of acknowledgement. ‘Shane?’ He said again and Shane turned slightly. Dale looked at Tala for a moment before swallowing and looking up at Shane.   
‘I was thinking, you’ve got that nice new ride of yours. Plenty of fuel. More than enough for you to get far from here,’ He said almost aggressively and Tala was shocked. She blinked slightly, gripping Shane’s hand tighter.   
‘Dale, what?’ She said quietly and he shook his head to her.  
‘What, you want me to leave?’ Shane asked and Dale looked back at him.  
‘I know you’ve been planning to. Maybe now is a good time.’  
Shane laughed. ‘Is this about Tala?’  
Dale hesitated, glancing at her for a second before his eyes flitted back to Shane. ‘I’m looking out for the group.’  
‘Think the group would be better off without me, Dale?’ Shane asked lowly. ‘Why don’t you tell that to Rick and Lori. Their boy would be dead if I hadn’t put my ass on the line.’  
‘And Otis’s,’ Dale retorted and Shane tensed slightly before shaking his head and beginning to walk away. Tala didn’t follow him, her hand slipping from his grip, staring at Dale.  
‘You’ve been vague about that night, about what happened,’ The old man said and she shook her head.  
Shane looked back and paused. ‘Otis died a hero.’  
‘So you’ve said,’ Dale started walking back towards him.  
‘A little boy lived ‘cos of what went down that night,’ Shane said almost incredulously. ‘I think you ought to show some gratitude.’  
‘I wasn’t there.’  
‘Nah man, you weren’t,’ The hostility in Shane’s voice was thick and Tala walked back as Dale stepped closer to him.  
‘But I was the time you raised your gun on Rick. So was Tala,’ He said. ‘You had him in your sights and you held him there.’  
Shane shook his head and sighed before dragging his eyes up to look at Tala.   
‘I know what kind of man you are,’ Dale said and Shane snapped his head back to look at him. The look on his face turned dark and Tala edged closer towards them nervously.  
‘You think I’d shoot Rick? That is my best friend. That’s the man that I love. I love him like he’s my brother. You think that’s the kind of man I am?’ Shane asked, his voice dangerously low.  
‘That’s right,’ Dale said, his voice betraying him only slightly as he stood his ground. Tala tried to stand in between the two, putting her hand on Shane’s chest but he gently took it away. She shook her head but he ignored her.  
‘Well maybe we ought to just think that through,’ Shane said with a slight twisted smile. ‘See, now that I’m the man who’d gun down his own best friend, what do you think I’d do to some guy I don’t even like when he starts throwing accusations in my way. What do you think?’ When Dale didn’t say anything, Shane snorted and walked away towards their tent. Tala stared after him before turning to Dale and swallowing.  
‘He’s not like that,’ She said after a moment and Dale raised his eyebrows to her. ‘Really, Dale, he wouldn’t do that to Rick. He’s not what you’re making him out to be, trust me. I’ve known him far longer than you.’  
‘You know the old Shane, Tala. Think about it. Don’t you think he’s changed since everything’s happened?’ Dale said exasperatedly and she shook her head again.  
‘Haven’t we all?’ She said quietly before following after Shane.


	15. Eviction

#  Fifteen

##  **_E v i c t i o n_ **

_ /ɪˈvɪkʃ(ə)n/ _

_ Noun - The action of expelling someone from a property. _

✦

Tala entered the tent to find Shane sat on the bed with his head in his hands, covering his face. Tala sat next to him and for a moment there was silence. Then he sat up and looked at her.   
‘You still think I’m good?’ He asked and Tala sighed. She placed her hand on Shane’s leg.  
‘Of course I do,’ She said quietly and Shane snorted, shaking his head. ‘You’re not that kind of person.’  
‘What kind of person am I, then?’ He shot at her and Tala pulled her hand back. ‘Am, am I really a good person? How can a killer be a good person?’  
Tala pulled Shane’s face into her hands and she looked at him steadily, shaking her head slightly. ‘Do you think I’m a good person?’ She asked and Shane frowned.  
‘What sort of question is that? Yes, you are,’ He replied and Tala smiled slightly and she slowly started stroking Shane’s cheek with her thumb.  
‘If I can be a good person then so can you, don’t you think?’   
Shane pulled back slightly. ‘When did you…?’ He trailed off and Tala’s sad smile remained.  
‘Back at the shootout, when Rick got shot. You remember that?’ She started quietly and Shane nodded slowly. ‘We were all firing, I know, but I took that final shot that killed them both. Both guys died … because of me.’  
Shane looked away for a moment before looking back at Tala. ‘You never talked about it.’  
‘I didn’t want to,’ Tala said simply, clasping her hands nervously and avoiding Shane’s eye.   
‘Do you feel bad?’ Shane asked quietly and Tala looked at the floor.   
‘When I realise that I do, I,’ Tala paused and bit her lip before sighing. ‘I just tell myself that if I hadn’t, then maybe you would have got injured, or one of the officers from the other squad. Maybe they would have escaped and hurt more people. It might sound heartless for their families, but hell, it’s what gets me through it.   
‘If you didn’t … do what you had to, who knows whether Carl would have survived, Shane,’ Tala looked back up again and took Shane’s hands in her own. ‘This life is hard now. If you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time you need to make some decisions that are … difficult. Horrible decisions that have no right answers. You did your best in a really, really bad situation. I’m not judging you, Shane, and I don’t think that you’re a bad person.’  
Shane looked away again but squeezed Tala’s hands. He nodded slowly and Tala leant forward and kissed his forehead.   
‘You’re my best friend, and it’s going to take a lot more to get rid of me,’ She murmured and Shane smiled.  
‘I guess I’m stuck with you then,’ He said quietly and Tala laughed slightly.  
‘I guess so.’

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Tala sat next to Carol as she prepared some scrambled eggs for breakfast. They chatted quietly as everyone slowly trickled out of their tents and gathered around the fire. Dale caught Tala’s eye and she looked away uneasily as Shane came over. Tala handed him a plate and tucked into her own.  
It was a quiet morning. The fire crackled and the insects chirped away in the bushes. Andrea sat sharpening her knife, the sound irritating the hell out of Tala as she ate. Lori talked to Rick in a low voice, but other than that nobody was saying very much.   
Shane flicked Tala’s cap as he ate his breakfast and she looked at him with a frown.  
‘Hands to yourself, officer,’ She said and Shane smiled.  
‘When have I ever done that?’ He replied quietly and Tala shook her head, her face betraying her as she smiled.   
‘You’re so dumb,’ She said and Shane ate another forkful of egg.  
‘I aim to please,’ He said with his mouth full and Tala rolled her eyes with another smile.  
Glenn stood up and walked over to where everybody could see him and Tala looked over to him, her smile fading as she saw the worry in his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets and rubbed his face slightly.  
‘Um, guys, so,’ He started shakily and everyone looked up. He hesitated, glancing at everyone. ‘The barns full of walkers.’  
Shane’s face turned serious and everyone looked startled. Tala looked at Shane and back to Glenn. There was a stunned silence and Glenn looked like he was about to panic.  
‘How many?’ Tala finally said when no one else did anything. Everyone looked at her and she cleared her throat. ‘How many do you think are in there?’  
Glenn took a breath and looked behind him, towards the barn. ‘Around a dozen, probably more,’ He said and Tala nodded slowly. Then she turned to Rick and sighed.  
‘So this is why Hershel wanted to take care of the walkers, huh?’ She asked and Rick didn’t meet her eye. ‘Did you know about this?’ Tala stared at him and Shane seemed exasperated. Rick looked up hurriedly, shaking his head.  
‘No,’ He said firmly and Tala ran her hand through her hair. Shane started walking towards the barn and the rest of the group followed. He peered through the gap in the door for a moment before sighing and backing away.   
‘You can not tell me you’re alright with this,’ He said to Rick as he walked past, going to stand next to Tala. His hat was in his hand and he looked furious.   
‘No I am not, but we’re guests here, this isn’t our land,’ Rick replied and Shane scoffed.  
‘Oh god,’ Shane put his hat back on and turned around. ‘This is our lives, man!’  
‘Lower your voice,’ Glenn said, raising his hands slightly to Shane. Tala put her hand on Shane’s arm gently and he shook his head.  
‘We can’t just sweep this under the rug,’ Andrea said.  
‘It ain’t right, not remote,’ T-Dog said and Tala kept her eyes on Shane as he started pacing, taking his hat off again.  
‘We either gotta go in there and make things right or we just gotta go, man,’ He said and Rick turned slightly. ‘We’ve been talking about Fort Benning for a while now -’  
‘We can’t go,’ Rick said firmly, holding his arm out and Lori looked nervous.  
‘Why, Rick, why?’ Shane asked and Tala looked at Carol.  
‘Because my daughter’s still out there,’ She said and Tala put her arm around her shoulder. Tala looked up at Shane with a pointed look as he rubbed his face and stuttered.  
‘Okay, I,’ He seemed exasperated. He took a deep breath and pulled his hands away from his face. ‘Okay, I think it’s time we all start to just, consider, the other possibilities now -’  
Tala closed her eyes for a moment, her free hand going to the bridge of her nose and she pinched it as Rick interjected. ‘Shane, we’re not leaving Sophia behind.’   
Daryl moved forward from behind Tala and she opened her eyes again, squeezing Carol gently. ‘I am so sorry for … him,’ She whispered and Carol shook her head.  
‘We’re close to finding this girl,’ Daryl said. ‘I just found her damn doll a few days ago.’  
Shane scoffed. ‘You found her doll, Daryl, that’s what you did. You found a doll.’ There was a brief pause before Daryl started forward.  
‘You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,’ Daryl raised his voice and Rick stepped in.  
‘Alright, alright,’ Rick tried.  
‘Nah, man, I’m just saying what needs to be said here!’ Shane retorted and Tala went back over to Shane and put her hand on his arm again. She tugged but he didn’t respond. ‘Now you get a good lead in the first forty-eight hours, now let me tell you something else man, if she was alive out there and saw you coming, all methed out with your butt knifed and geek ears around your neck, she would have run in the other direction man!’  
‘Shane, are you fucking kidding me? Shut up,’ Tala tugged again and he pulled his arm away from her, shaking his head with a sneer pointed towards Daryl.  
Daryl moved forward and the pair started shouting at each other. Rick stepped in the middle and pushed them both back and Lori grabbed Shane’s arm and pulled him back.   
‘Keep your hands off me,’ He warned Lori and walked away. Tala put her fist to her forehead before walking after Shane slightly.  
‘Let me talk to Hershel!’ Rick shouted and Shane turned and walked back towards him. ‘Let me figure it out.’  
‘What are you going to figure out?’ Shane shouted back.  
‘Enough!’ Lori said and Tala put her hand on Shane’s chest. His eyes flitted to her briefly as Rick kept talking and Tala kept him there.  
‘If we’re going to stay, if we’re going to clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is his land,’ Rick said forcefully. Tala kept her eyes on Shane’s face and her hand in the middle of his chest.  
‘Hershel sees those things in there as people,’ Dale stepped in. ‘Sick people. His wife, his step-son.’  
‘You knew?’ Rick asked incredulously.  
‘Yesterday, I talked to Hershel,’ Dale admitted steadily.   
‘And you waited the night?’ Shane spoke up, glaring at the older man.  
‘I thought we could survive one more night,’ Dale said defensively, staring Shane down. ‘We did. I was waiting until this morning to say anything but Glenn wanted to be the one.’  
‘The man is crazy, Rick,’ Shane said, trying to move forward again but Tala pushed him back gently, not noticeable by the others watching but she knew Shane could feel it. Part of her was in an anxious rush and the other was completely shut off, not seeming to care all that much, wanting to see what happened. Maybe she was finally cracking. ‘If Hershel thinks those things are alive, they’re not!’  
Tala only turned when she realised how badly the walkers were pushing up against the barn doors. Lori, Carl and Carol backed away and Tala sighed. She looked back at Shane, her look sour and he didn’t meet her eye.  
‘We will sort this out,’ Rick finally said in a low voice and everyone slowly dispersed back to the main camp. As everyone walked away, Tala pulled Shane back on the road.  
‘What the hell was that?’ She asked quietly and Shane took off his cap, sighing.   
‘I’m the only one seeing sense here,’ He said angrily an Tala looked up at him with a scathing look on her face and he faltered slightly. ‘Can’t you see what I’m trying to do?’   
‘I saw you panicking,’ Tala paused, taking a deep breath and turning away from Shane, looking back at the barn. She took a few steps before turning back and letting her anger show through. ‘Shane, you completely crossed the line. Saying that shit about Sophia? Carol was right there,’ She said furiously and Shane didn’t say anything.  
‘The only thing I saw, right there, was you trying to piss everyone off,’ Tala continued, her voice threatening to break. ‘Trying to get everyone against you, Shane, and you’re already on thin fucking ice with Dale. What were you thinking? Were you fucking thinking?’ She barely refrained from raising her voice but she managed it. She took another deep breath, putting her fingertips to the bridge of her nose again and exhaled.   
‘I understand that you are scared,’ She said quietly. ‘But you really, really need to work on your diplomacy skills if you want to be a good leader.’  
Shane nodded and adjusted his cap on his head. ‘I’m sorry.’   
‘Were you thinking?’ Tala repeated, looking back at him. He didn’t say anything for a moment.  
‘I was thinking about keeping you and Carl safe,’ He finally said. ‘I was thinking that I couldn’t lose you.’  
‘It’s not just about us, Shane,’ Tala said as Shane stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘We can’t be that selfish.’  
‘What about what you said in the car? About leaving Andrea if we got in a tight spot,’ Shane asked and Tala snorted.  
‘That was a special exception,’ She said quietly. Shane shook his head and started stroking Tala’s hair.  
‘Leave with me,’ He murmured and Tala pulled back sharply.  
‘I thought you weren’t going to,’ She said and Shane shrugged.  
‘I wasn’t, but I want to be selfish,’ He said, holding her hand. Tala ran her free hand through her hair and looked around, her headache coming back. She didn’t say anything, simply because she didn’t have a good enough excuse not to go.  
‘We have to find Sophia,’ She said after a long time, not meeting Shane’s eye. She could tell he had went cold. When she looked back up again, his expression was stoney.  
‘You said it yourself, she’s dead,’ He said and Tala shook her head.   
‘We need to bring her back,’ She said forcefully, her voice cracking slightly. ‘Bury her.’  
Shane sighed, rubbing his forehead before he nodded. ‘Okay. Fine. We find the body, and then we leave.’  
‘No, Shane, I didn’t mean it like that,’ Tala tried to say but he had already turned and walked away. Tala swore and turned back around, bunching up her fists and wanting to scream. She looked at the barn and swore again, louder this time. She stood there for anywhere between five and fifteen minutes before the burning anger inside of her faded away. She walked back towards the camp and realised she seemed to miss having a pistol holstered to her leg.  
Tala found Rick staring at the map and Tala leaned against the bonnet of the pickup truck, sighing.  
‘What’s gotten into him?’ Rick said quietly and Tala shook her head, looking up at Dale on top of the RV. He nodded to her and she did the same back before she looked back at Rick.  
‘He’s just scared,’ She replied and Rick sighed.   
‘He can’t keep acting like this,’ He said and he stopped looking at the map. Tala shrugged slightly and stood by his side to look at the grids.  
‘I had a talk with him. He seems to have compromised slightly,’ She hesitated and Rick glanced at her.  
‘Compromised on what, exactly?’  
‘We wait until we find Sophia,’ Tala said slowly.  
‘And then what?’  
‘The rest is a bit more …vague.’  
‘I see,’ Rick said, keeping his eyes on Tala. ‘Give me the overview then.’  
‘Well, from what I gathered, I think he has the thought that, well, once we’ve found Sophia, we’re going to leave,’ She said before sighing and shaking her head. ‘I don’t know if he meant the whole group or just him.’  
‘If he said “we”, he must have at least meant for you to go with him,’ Rick said, tilting his head. Tala looked away and scratched her cheek slightly.  
‘Well, that’s not very likely. When are you going to talk to Hershel?’  
Rick didn’t say anything for a moment before straightening up and looking over to the farmhouse. ‘How about now? Come along with me, you were always good at negotiating with people.’  
Tala raised her eyebrows and walked with Rick. They went up to the farmhouse and she looked back at the barn. She saw a figure by the door and she quickly realised it was Shane.  
‘That son of a bitch,’ She said, sighing exasperatedly and Rick turned. His expression went stoney but Tala shook her head. ‘He’s not going to do anything, we have time.’ Rick looked between Shane and Tala before nodding his head and he knocked on the door.  
‘Come on in,’ Hershel called and Rick looked at Tala again before walking in. Hershel was sat at his dining table, reading a book and eating some lunch.  
‘A little light reading for lunch?’ Rick asked and Hershel looked up at him. Tala took off the hat and tried to refrain from ringing it in her hands.  
‘Been working so hard lately, I get my study in where I can,’ Hershel said. Tala stepped forward slightly.  
‘We can always help out, anything to let you know that we really appreciate everything you’ve done for us. I’ve got plenty of experience being a farm hand,’ She said gently and Hershel gave her the smallest of smiles.  
‘It’s my field to tend,’ He said firmly and Tala nodded. As Hershel ate some more, Tala and Rick exchanged looks.  
‘We found the barn,’ Rick said after a moment and Hershel didn’t look up from his book.  
‘Leave it be.’  
‘Well, I’d like to talk about it, but,’ Rick sighed slightly. ‘Your barn, your farm, your say.’  
‘I don’t want to talk about the farm, I don’t want a debate,’ Hershel said.   
‘Not a debate,’ Tala said. ‘A discussion. That’s all.’  
Hershel took a few moments, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He looked between Rick and Tala and then kept his eyes on Rick. ‘I need you and your group gone by the end of the week.’   
He took a drink and Rick looked at Tala. She fiddled with her cap and Rick looked back to Hershel. ‘I talked to Dale. You and I have our differences, the way we look at the walkers. Those … people,’ Hershel looked up and Rick looked at him imploringly. ‘They may be dead, they may be alive, but my people, us, we are alive right now, right here, right in front of you. If you send out there then that could change.’  
‘I’ve given you safe harbour. My conscience is clear.’  
Rick sat down and Tala took a breath. ‘This farm, this farm is special. You’ve been shielded from what’s been going out there. Dale said you saw everything happen on the news. Well it’s been… it’s been a long time since the camera stopped rolling.’  
Hershel got up and Rick followed. Tala stood at one of the counters as Hershel went over to the sink.  
‘The first time I saw a walker, it was just half a body snapping at me from the ground and my inclination wasn’t to kill it,’ Rick said. ‘But what the world is out there isn’t what you saw on TV. It is much, much worse and it changes you, either into one of them or or something a lot less than the person you were. Please do not, do not send us out there again.’  
‘Some of us,’ Tala said quietly, staring at the photos on the fridge again distantly. ‘Some of us tried to get to the refugee camp. Back in Atlanta. I don’t know what you might have seen but, we saw it all unfold. The helicopters. The tanks. The fire and the smoke and then the bodies. When we went back to the CDC it was … it was a scene straight from hell itself.’   
Hershel stood at the sink, his arms shaking slightly and Rick took a few steps. He looked at Tala before looking back at Hershel. Tala looked up at her old boss and he took a breath.  
‘My wife’s pregnant,’ Hershel looked around and Tala stared at Rick. ‘That’s either a gift here or a death sentence out there. If we were to stay, we could help you with the work, with securing this place, we can survive together.’  
‘Rick I’m telling you, we can’t,’ Hershel said firmly.  
‘But did you think about what you’re doing?’ Rick tried.  
‘I thought about it.’  
‘Think about it.’  
‘I thought about it!’ Hershel shouted. Tala looked away and felt her headache coming back again.  
‘Think about it again. We can’t go out there,’ Rick walked away, tears at his eyes and Tala looked at Hershel for a moment.  
‘I’m sorry,’ She said quietly before walking after Rick. She sat down on the stairs outside and realised she was on the verge of tears herself. She rubbed her face, lit a cigarette and went back over to the barn where Shane had set himself up on watch. He leant against a tractor, staring straight ahead.  
‘You’re going to get your wish granted after all,’ She said quietly and he turned to look at her.  
‘What?’ He asked with a frown and Tala sighed before taking a drag.  
‘Hershel wants us gone. By the end of the week,’ She said, flicking the cigarette and watching the ash float to the ground.  
‘What day is it?’  
‘I have no idea. Want one?’  
Shane took the offer and Tala lit his for him. They stood and watched the barn for a moment before Tala sighed again.  
‘Just as things started getting a bit better they just had to fuck up again, huh?’ She said quietly, staring at the massive padlock laying against the door. ‘The CDC was great until we learnt it was going to self destruct. The farm is great until we learn there are walkers being kept a hundred yards from where we eat. God sure does love us.’  
‘I thought you weren’t religious,’ Shane said and Tala shrugged.  
‘I’m not.’  
They went silent again and Shane took Tala’s hand. ‘I’m sorry.’  
‘You already said that.’  
‘Well, I’m saying it again.’  
‘Tell it to Carol,’ Tala said, looking over to him and she put out her cigarette. ‘Don’t tell me.’  
Rick came over and Shane looked over at him. ‘What’s it going to be, man? Which way is this thing going to go?’  
‘I don’t know yet,’ Rick didn’t look at him and Shane glanced at Tala.  
‘Well, what did he say?’  
‘We’re negotiating,’ Rick said and Tala looked away as Shane laughed slightly.   
He finished his own cigarette. ‘The clock’s ticking, Rick.’  
‘No, no, no, it isn’t, Shane, that barn, the barn is secure,’ Rick tried to say. ‘We didn’t even know about it until this morning.’  
‘We didn’t, well, we know about it now,’ Shane retorted and Tala was close to blowing her own brains out due to the arguing, let alone the walkers in the barn. ‘We know there’s over a dozen walkers in there, we know that it’s,’ Shane took a deep breath and looked at Tala. ’It’s about a stone’s throw from our camp, Rick, where we sleep, so look if we’re not going to go in there and clear it out then we just gotta go.’  
‘We are not going to clear it out and we’re not going to go.’  
‘We just need our guns.  
‘We can’t have them,’ Rick said. ‘We can’t have guns.’  
Shane hit his hand against the tractor and laughed again. ‘Why do you want to stay here when it’s not safe, Rick? When Hershel doesn’t even want us? I just, I can’t -’  
Rick looked at Tala and she sighed. ‘We can make it safe,’ He said, looking back to Shane.  
‘We can, well,’ Shane said disbelievingly. Rick looked around exasperatedly. ‘How are we going to do that, man?’  
‘We will, okay?’  
‘How are we going to make it safe, Rick?’  
‘We will, okay?’ Rick raised his voice.  
‘No man, it’s not okay,’ Shane shouted. Tala held out her arms in between the two men and Rick seethed.  
‘Damn it, Lori’s pregnant,’ He spat and Shane was shocked into silence. Tala saw the look on his face and her insides plummeted. She didn’t want to imagine the look on her own so she looked away as Rick stared at Shane imploringly. ‘We need to stay.’  
‘We need our guns,’ Shane’s voice cracked slightly.  
‘No,’ Rick turned to go. ‘You know what, I can work this out.’ He started walking away for a moment before he turned back slightly. ‘You good?’ He called to Shane.  
‘Yeah,’ Shane said after a moment before he gave a short laugh. ‘Congrats on having a baby, man, congratulations.’  
Rick took a moment before replying. ‘Thank you,’ He said, aggression and anger still obvious in his tone and he walked away. Shane looked down before looking back up at the barn and Tala scoffed before walking away.  
‘Hey, Tala, wait,’ Shane started but she shook her head as he reached out for her shoulder.  
‘I saw your face, Shane,’ She said quietly, not looking at him at all. ‘I really need to stop believing your lies so much.’   
She turned and walked away, anger and disappointment twisting in her stomach like lava. She saw Lori and Carl working away and Lori waved her over. Tala deliberated for a moment before walking over.  
‘Did you and Rick talk to Hershel?’ She asked and Tala nodded slowly.  
‘We did,’ She started slowly.  
‘How did it go?’ Lori asked worriedly.  
‘It was something, that’s for sure,’ Tala said, not wanting to worry Carl. She glanced at him and then back at Lori and Lori clocked on instantly.  
‘Carl, honey, I’m going to go and talk to Tala, okay? You keep doing those problems,’ She said and the two women went a little bit away.  
‘Congratulations,’ Tala said quietly and Lori looked thrown.   
‘Rick said?’ She asked lowly and Tala nodded. ‘Rick had to say that?’  
‘Hershel wants us to leave, pretty soon. He’s upset about us sticking our noses in everything, and, to be honest, rightly so. I’m not sure how Rick is going to talk his way out of this one but he sure is going to try,’ Tala said, looking over at the farmhouse before sighing. Lori looked between the house and Tala and looked somewhat horrified.  
‘We can’t leave,’ She said quietly and Tala nodded.  
‘I know,’ She said and Lori subconsciously put her hand on her stomach. She looked down as Tala glanced and she pulled her hand away hastily.  
‘Do you think this is the right thing?’ Lori asked and Tala frowned.  
‘What do you mean?’  
‘Having this baby, in this world. Is it really the right thing?’ She asked again and Tala glanced at Carl.  
‘I,’ Tala hesitated before looking up at Lori again. ‘I don’t know.’ Her voice cracked and she bit her lip.   
‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that of you,’ Lori said and Tala shook her head.  
‘No, don’t be sorry, but I just, I need to go,’ Tala said and she walked away before bursting into tears at her tent. Could she have a break for five fucking minutes? Could the world please give her one tiny moment where she didn’t have to think about anything?  
She sat down on her camp bed and cried for a few minutes before she managed to get control of herself. She rubbed her face before picking up the clothes on the floor and shoving them into her bag. Maybe she should leave with Shane. She ran a hand through her hair before shaking her head again. Tala went out to the RV and looked around. She checked inside and saw that the gun bag was missing. Glenn came over and Tala frowned.  
‘Have you seen Dale?’ She asked and Glenn looked up at the roof of the RV.  
‘He isn’t here?’ He asked and Tala shook her head.   
‘Neither is the gun bag,’ Glenn frowned but then shrugged it off.   
‘He knows what he’s doing,’ He said and Tala shrugged too.  
‘I suppose you’re right,’ They climbed up to the top of the RV and kept an eye out for Dale. Shane walked by and Tala didn’t say anything, just looked away.   
‘Are you okay?’ Glenn asked and Tala nodded.  
‘Of course,’ She said quietly and Glenn didn’t press any further. Clattering could be heard from the RV before Shane jumped out again.  
‘You see where he went?’ Shane said and Tala turned her back to him. An immature but simple way to not deal with him.  
‘Who?’ Glenn asked.  
‘Don’t even try to shit me, okay?’  
‘What?’  
‘Dale, Glenn, did you see where Dale went?’ Shane asked and Glenn stood up.  
‘He asked me to go get him some water and he said he’d cover me on watch,’ Glenn explained.  
‘And he was gone when you went back, huh?’ Shane asked and Glenn looked at Tala.  
‘Yeah,’ Glenn paused. ‘Do you think he’s okay?  
‘Oh, he’s fine,’ Shane said in a dangerous tone and Tala turned around.  
‘Well, why did he bail then?’  
‘So you wouldn’t tell me which way he went,’ Shane said.  
‘I don’t get it.’  
‘Nah, man, you don’t,’ Shane said and Tala climbed down quickly. She followed after Shane as he hurried away and he led them into the forest. Tala kept a reasonable distance behind him so that she wouldn’t have to talk to him or, really, be noticed by him. They walked through the swamp and finally found Dale trying to hide the guns.   
‘Man, this is a good hiding place,’ Shane called out and Dale looked around. He stared at Shane before looking behind him to Tala. Tala shook her head frantically and put her fingers to her lips. Shane looked up at the trees. ‘We haven’t been out in the swamps much, huh.’  
Dale looked down at the gun bag and gathered them. ‘Imagine if you applied your tracking skills to finding Sophia,’ He said as he opened up a bin bag. Shane walked towards him and Tala followed quietly.  
‘How about you just give me that bag, huh?’ Shane asked and Dale looked back up at him.   
‘I’m not going to do that,’ He said firmly.  
‘Yeah you are, Dale,’ Shane said. ‘Unless, well, you do have that rifle over your shoulder.’  
‘What, are you going to shoot me, like you did Otis?’ Dale asked and Tala put her hands over her mouth. She stared at the two men and Shane laughed quietly. ‘Tell another story?’  
‘Nah, man,’ Shane said gruffly. ‘Hell, when you really look at it, cold light of day, you’re pretty much dead already. Just give me the guns, do it now.’  
‘You really think this is going to keep us safe?’ Dale asked. Tala felt completely torn. She felt that they should respect Hershel’s wishes, however the guns were needed for when shit went down. Shane was right but too aggressive and Dale went the completely wrong way about taking action.  
‘Mhm,’ Shane said quietly. ‘I know it is.’  
‘Rick is trying to let Hershel -’  
‘Yeah, shut up. Just shut up and give me the guns,’ Shane interrupted. Dale looked around, catching Tala’s eye and she bit her lip. Dale put down the big bag and loaded his rifle. He turned to face Shane and pointed the gun at his chest.   
‘I’m going to have to shoot you,’ He said and Tala’s heart stopped. She froze in complete panic and she almost started crying again. ‘Do I have to kill you, is that what it’s going to take?’  
Shane just stood there. Tala wanted to scream but her voice had got stuck in her throat. She moved slowly, barely breathing and stopped when she heard Shane laugh slightly. He took a step forward and Dale raised his gun slightly. Shane kept walking and Tala grimaced as the barrel of the gun hit against his chest. Shane sighed, keeping his eyes on Dale.   
‘That’s what it’s going to take,’ Shane said and Tala sagged slightly.  
‘Stop it,’ She managed to say, her voice cracking on every letter. Shane spun and his eyes went wide and Dale kept the gun raised. ‘Both of you, please, stop it.’  
‘You followed me?’ Shane asked and Tala shook her head.  
‘You really want to start that?’ She replied, gesturing to Dale. She walked over to the men and firmly pushed Shane back from the gun before turning to Dale. She looked him in the eye and put a hand on the barrel of the gun. ‘This isn’t you, Dale,’ She said quietly and Dale didn’t break eye contact.   
‘Don’t do something you’re going to regret,’ Tala kept saying and she slowly started pushed the gun away from being aimed at anyone. Dale looked pained and Tala nodded.   
Dale looked back at Shane. ‘This is where you belong, Shane,’ He said quietly and Shane frowned. Tala kept herself positioned slightly in the middle of them, and pushed Shane back slightly when he got too close.  
‘How’s that, Dale?’ He asked lowly.  
‘This world, what it is now,’ Dale shook his head and slung his rifle strap over his shoulder. ‘This is where you belong. Now, I may not have what it takes to last that long but that’s okay. At least I can say that when the world went to shit I didn’t let it take me down with it,’ He picked up the bag full of the other guns and shoved it into Shane’s arms.   
‘Fair enough,’ Shane said and walked away. Tala stared after him in a mixture of exasperation, confusion and anxiety, the adrenaline from her panic before still in her system. Dale turned to Tala and she shook her head.  
‘I know,’ She said and walked after Shane. After she was sure Dale couldn’t see her, she ran after Shane. She saw him up ahead and called out his name.  
He turned around and avoided her eye. ‘Don’t -’ He started but Tala interrupted him.  
‘Give me my shotgun, and my pistol,’ She said quietly and Shane frowned.  
‘Aren’t you going to -’  
‘I said give me my guns,’ Tala repeated and Shane pulled them out of the bag. Tala tucked her pistol in her holster and held her shotgun with both hands and they walked together in silence for most of the way back to the barn.  
‘Why did you come after me?’ Shane asked as they walked through one of Hershel’s fields.   
‘I didn’t want one of you getting injured. I’m glad I went,’ Tala said and Shane nodded before looking at her.   
‘Thank you,’ He said.  
‘For what?’  
‘Coming.’  
Tala looked up at him and stopped. Shane turned slightly and looked back. ‘Why?’ Tala had a feeling she knew what was coming.  
‘I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t,’ Shane said, looking down at his shotgun. Tala pursed her lips together to stop herself from crying and nodded. ‘When I’m around you, I, I feel like a better version of myself,’ Shane continued and Tala couldn’t look away from his face.  
‘I feel like the man I used to be, before this all started,’ He walked back towards Tala and she shook her head.  
‘You still are that man,’ She said, putting her shotgun down and gently stroking his cheek. ‘You’re still my best friend, my Shane.’  
Shane gave a weak smile. ‘I hope I am,’ He said and a tear slipped down Tala’s cheek. He frowned before lowering the gun bag and leaning in and kissing her deeply. He smelt like a log fire and he tasted slightly of cigarettes. Tala wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Shane pulled away and wiped away the tear on Tala’s face.  
‘You’re a better man than you think, Shane,’ She said quietly and Shane looked away for a moment. ‘You’re better than Mark ever was.’  
She kept her arms around his neck and Shane frowned. ‘He wasn’t that bad.’  
‘He was a lazy, lying, coward,’ Tala said with contempt and Shane looked shocked. ‘He just used and cheated people until he got bored.’   
‘I didn’t know that,’ Shane said and Tala smiled slightly.  
‘There’s a lot about me and Mark that you don’t know,’ She said and they were quiet for a moment. Shane started to walk back towards the group but Tala kept him back. ‘Wait.’  
‘What is it?’ Shane looked back at her and Tala sighed.  
‘I want to know what else it is that makes you want to leave so badly,’ She said gently, her hand on his arm. Shane looked in the direction of the farmhouse and shook his head.  
‘I don’t … fit in,’ He hesitated to find the right words and Tala frowned up at him slightly but didn’t say anything. ‘Neither of us do, not really. Since Rick came back, I don’t know, he just … It’s his way or no way, if it’s not his plans then it’s not right and it doesn’t work. You and I both stand up to him and it, I don’t know, I guess it gives us an edge.’  
‘I’m not entirely sure I follow,’ Tala said quietly and Shane laughed in a slightly nervous way and looked back to the farm house.  
‘No one seems to understand what I’m trying to do,’ He said in a murmur and Tala put her hand to his face again and brought it to look at her.  
‘You’re trying to keep us safe,’ She said. ‘To protect us.’  
Shane didn’t say anything, he just nodded into Tala’s hand. Tala hugged him tightly and he stroked her hair gently.  
‘If we end up leaving the farm, I’ll leave the group with you,’ She said quietly and Shane pulled back, his eyes wide.  
‘You will?’  
Tala shrugged. ‘No promises, but with how things are playing out then … probably. But,’ She added and Shane’s eyebrows raised. ‘If we stay here then we both stay. We could really make something here. This place is just … incredible. We’d just need to work on our politics.’  
Shane was quiet for a moment before nodding. ‘Deal.’  
Tala smiled and Shane picked up the gun bag again. Tala picked her shotgun back up but before she started walking, Shane spoke again.  
‘What changed your mind?’  
Tala shook her head and sniffed, looking down before looking at Shane again. ‘I’m just scared, that’s all. I’ve been scared for a long time.’  
Shane didn’t say anything, his gaze landing on the direction of the barn. Tala started walking again, wiping her face and she noticed that everyone was sat around the porch at Hershel’s farmhouse. Daryl was stood in the middle of the yard and Tala frowned.  
‘Ah, here we go,’ She heard him say. Shane walked up to the house carrying the guns and flipped his shotgun as Daryl pointed to it. ‘What’s all this?’   
Shane hesitated for a split second, looking at Tala and then the barn. ‘You with me man?’ He said when he looked back at Daryl. He offered him a gun and Daryl took it. ‘Yeah.’  
Tala looked at Daryl and back to Shane and she walked forward, frowning as she realised what he was going to do. ‘Shane, wait, remember what you literally just said.’  
Shane ignored her as he walked past the house. ‘Time to grow up. You already got yours?’ He asked Andrea.  
‘Yeah,’ She said before looking behind them. ‘Where’s Dale?’  
‘He’s on his way,’ Shane said lowly and handed T-Dog a pistol.  
‘I thought we couldn’t carry?’ He asked and Tala looked between everyone.  
‘Shane,’ She warned again and he didn’t even look at her. She looked at the barn before running a hand through her hair, anxiety rising up in her chest again.  
‘Yeah, well, we can and we have to,’ Shane looked over at Hershel’s people, Glenn and Carl. ‘Now, look, it was one thing standing around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe, but now we know that it ain’t. How about you, man, are you going to protect yours?’ Shane offered Glenn a gun. Glenn looked at Maggie before taking it. ‘That’s it. Can you shoot?’ Shane looked to Maggie and she glared at him.  
‘Can you stop? If you do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight,’ She warned and Carl came forward.  
‘We have to stay, Shane,’ Carl said and Shane looked up at him. Lori walked across the porch and stood by her son.  
‘What is this?’ She said, looking between Shane and Tala. Tala looked on helplessly and Shane licked his lips.  
‘We ain’t going anywhere, okay, now look, Hershel, he’s just gotta understand, okay, he, well, he’s gonna have to know,’ Shane knelt in front of Carl and pulled out a small pistol. ‘We’re going to find Sophia, am I right? Huh? Now I want you to take this, you take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes, you know how, go on and take the gun and do it.’  
‘Rick said no guns,’ Lori interjected. ‘This is not your call, this is not your decision to make.’  
‘Oh shit,’ T-Dog said, looking over towards the driveway. Rick and Hershel were making their way down with walkers on control poles. Shane started running down and Tala stared for a moment before realising what was happening.  
‘What is that, huh, what is that?’ He yelled and Tala caught up with him.  
‘Shane,’ She tried and he shook his head.  
‘Explain that,’ He said and Tala scoffed.   
‘I mean, I’m great and all, but not that good,’ She said and Shane gave a twisted smile.  
‘Hey, what the hell are you doing?’ He shouted to Rick as they neared.  
‘Shane, just back off,’ Rick shouted.  
‘Why do your people have guns?’ Hershel asked as the walkers they had caught snapped angrily.  
‘Are you kidding me? You see, you see what they’re holding on to?’ Shane turned to the rest of the group, looking at Tala a little longer and she stared at the walkers.  
‘I see who I’m holding on to,’  
‘Nah man, you don’t,’ Shane said.  
‘Shane, just let us do this, then we can talk,’ Rick said and he looked at Tala desperately. She shook her head, keeping a distance as she eyed the walkers.  
‘What you wanna talk about, Rick? These things ain’t sick, they’re not people, they’re dead! Ain’t gotta feel nothing for them, ‘cos all they do, they kill. These things, right here. They’re the things that killed Amy, they killed Otis! They’re gonna kill all of us unless we do something about it.’ Tala sighed, keeping her eyes on Shane as he looked around.   
‘Shane, stop,’ Rick shouted.   
‘Hey, Hershel, man, let me ask you something. Could a living, breathing, person, could they walk away from this?’ Shane raised his pistol and fired three shots.  
‘No!’ Rick cried. ‘Stop it!’  
‘That’s three rounds in the chest. Could someone who was alive, could they just take that? Why is it still coming?’ He took two more shots. ‘That’s its heart, its lungs. Why’s it still coming?’ Three more shots. Tala just stared, her head pounding. She felt like she could pass out.  
‘Shane, enough,’ Rick growled.  
‘Yeah, you’re right man, that is enough,’ Shane said before walking right up to the walker Hershel had and fired a final shot to head. Hershel dropped to the ground as well and Maggie stood by his shoulders. Shane looked at the barn before turning around again.   
‘Enough, risking our lives for a little girl who’s gone! Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us! Enough!’ Shane shouted. ‘Rick, it ain’t what it was before. Now if y’all wanna live, if y’all wanna survive, you gotta fight for it. I’m talking about fight, right here, right now.’   
Several people cried out, but Tala was only focused on Shane. She didn’t look at anyone else, she didn’t really hear anyone else, she just saw Shane. Her emotions were a bundled mess of confusion painted with anger and terror and she could barely breathe.  
Rick screamed at Hershel as Shane ran forward and broke open the restraints keeping the barn door closed.  
‘Shane, enough, do not do this brother,’ Rick called out.  
‘Don’t do it!’ Shouted Glenn.  
From beside Tala, Lori cried out too. ‘Rick!’  
‘Shane, please, Shane do not do this,’ Rick said. ‘Get out of the way,’ He warned Lori and Carol.  
Shane got the door open and he got into position. ‘Come on,’ He said lowly and he started shooting at the walkers that come out of the barn. Tala walked forward with almost everyone else, apart from Hershel’s people, Rick, Lori and Carol.   
Tala shot six walkers in the head, hitting the shot first time. She kept firing at the chests of some, simply for the therapeutic factor. She glanced at Rick before turning and shooting the walker he was keeping and Rick just watched on. Shane nodded to Tala and she lowered her gun.  
Once all the walkers had been put down, Shane lowered his weapon and there was silence. Shane looked over at Tala and she stared back. She shook her head slowly as Dale came over.  
More groans could be heard from the barn and the group tensed again. Slowly, a smaller walker stumbled out into the light. Carol ran forward and cried out for Sophia as her daughter came forward and Daryl caught her. Shane looked down and Tala just stared with a blank look on her face. After what felt like forever, Rick walked forward and shot her down.  



	16. Deceit

#  Sixteen

##  **_D e c e i t_ **

_ /dɪˈsiːt/ _

_ Noun - The action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth. _

✦

Carol pushed Daryl off of her and stumbled away, sobbing loudly. Hershel was still knelt on the ground in shock and his daughter, Beth, sounded as though she was having a panic attack. She rushed forward, leaning down next to a walker that Tala assumed was her mother. She cried against it before it started snapping at her. Beth started screaming and tried to back away as the walker grabbed her hair. There was a scuffle, but Tala pulled her back and Andrea managed to swing a pickaxe into the walker’s head.  
Beth backed away quickly, crying into her father’s chest. Tala looked at the mess of bodies and back to Shane. Shane looked around as the group started walking away. He went after Hershel quickly and Tala kept at his side.  
‘We’ve been out, we’ve been combing these woods looking for her and she was in there all along? You knew?’ He asked and Rick put his hand on his arm.  
‘Leave us alone,’ Maggie said sternly.  
‘Hey, Shane just stop, man,’ Glenn said.  
Shane batted Rick’s hand away from him. ‘Hey, get your hands off me. You knew, and you kept it from us.’   
Hershel seemed defeated. ‘I didn’t know,’ He said helplessly as they walked towards the house, his arm around Beth.  
‘That’s bullshit, I think you all knew,’ Shane said loudly and Tala brushed against his hand slightly. He looked at her and she shook her head a fraction.  
‘We didn’t know,’ Maggie said vehemently but Shane was having none of it.  
‘Why was she there?’ He asked forcefully.  
‘Otis put those people in the barn,’ Hershel turned, sounding as though he was about to cry. ‘Maybe he found her and put her in there before he was killed.’  
‘You expect me to believe that? What do I look like, I look like an idiot to you?’ He asked, stepping forward and Rick kept him back slightly.  
‘Shane, this isn’t some conspiracy,’ Tala said with a small frown.  
‘I don’t care what you believe!’ Hershel said and Rick stood in between the two of them.  
‘Hey, hey, hey, everyone just calm down,’ He said.  
‘Get him off my land!’ Hershel said.  
‘Let me tell you something -’ Shane stepped forward but Maggie slapped him quickly.  
‘Don’t touch him!’ She shouted and he stared at her. Tala pulled him back slightly roughly and Maggie glared. ‘Haven’t you done enough?’   
As the family went inside their house, Hershel turned back. ‘I mean it,’ He said to Rick. ‘Off my land.’  
Glenn went inside with them and Rick stared at Shane. Shane looked away uneasily and caught Tala’s eye. She sighed but kept her ground. Shane looked down again and shook his head.  
‘What are you doing?’ Rick asked, moving forward. ‘Hey, what are you doing?’   
Shane sighed. ‘Daryl almost died looking for her, Rick. Anyone of us could have. Tala and I, after the target practice, when we got swarmed at the housing estate. I’m telling you right now, that son of a bitch,’ He took a breath as he pointed towards the house. His voice was slightly hoarse and he spoke lowly. ‘He knew.’  
‘He didn’t know! He’s not like that, he opened his home to us,’ Rick said exasperatedly and Shane scoffed quietly, moving around.  
‘He put us all in danger, man, he kept a barn full of walkers.’  
‘So you just start an insurrection, hand out guns and massacre his family?’  
‘His family's dead, Rick.’  
‘Well, he doesn't believe that. He thinks you just murdered them in cold blood, Rick tried to explain. Tala sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose and Rick looked to her incredulously.  
‘No, man, I don't care what he thinks.’  
‘I was handling it, brother, I was handling it and you just went ahead and--’   
‘You had us out in those woods looking for a little girl that every single one of us knew was dead!’ Shane shouted. ‘That's what you did. Rick, you're just as delusional as that guy. You handling it, huh?’ He walked away and Rick turned. Tala sniffed, watching Shane as he walked away and Rick looked to her.  
‘You believe in what he’s saying?’ He asked hoarsely and Tala sighed again.  
‘Parts of it,’ She said slowly and Rick shook his head.  
‘Hershel didn’t know,’ He began but this time Tala shook her head.  
‘That’s the bit I don’t agree with. Like I said, this isn’t some conspiracy. He didn’t do this on purpose. He didn’t do this simply to fuck with us,’ Tala looked at Rick before lighting another cigarette, fumbling as she tried to take the packet from her pocket. ‘How would he have known what little girl we were looking for anyway?’  
Rick didn’t say anything and Tala shook her head again before following Shane towards the barn. Lori looked at her as she walked over, instructing Dale to take Carl back up to the house. Tala stared at the bodies strewn on the ground before looking up at Shane. He didn’t meet her eye as she took a drag of her cigarette.  
‘You want us to start burying?’ T-Dog asked as Shane stared at the blanket covering Sophia.   
‘We need a service. Carol would want that,’ Andrea added and Tala nodded slightly absently.  
‘Yeah, we all want that,’ T-Dog said quietly.  
‘Let's, let's dig a grave for Sophia, and Annette and Shawn, uh, over by those trees,’ Lori said, point to a small grove of trees. ‘And we'll need a truck to move the bodies.’  
‘I'll get the keys,’ Jimmy said but Shane held up his hand.  
‘No, no. I got the truck,’ He said quietly before walking away. Tala stared after him and she felt Lori’s eyes on her.  
‘And the others? That's a lot of digging,’ Jimmy said  
‘We bury the ones we love and burn the rest,’ Andrea said.   
‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ Tala said quietly, putting out the cigarette on the ground. She walked past Lori and Lori didn’t question her, only nodded.  
‘Let's get to work,’ She said to the others and Tala walked up the small hill to where Shane was sat in the blue pick-up truck he had used the night Otis died. He looked up when he heard footprints and sighed. He didn’t say anything as Tala got in.  
Tala didn’t say anything, staring at the barn from where they were parked. After a moment, she took hold of Shane’s hand gently and he looked at her.  
‘You’re not mad?’ He asked and Tala snorted.  
‘I am fucking furious,’ She said quietly, staring straight ahead. ‘But I know why you did it. Do not get me wrong, I am still very, very angry. You are the dumbest fuck around, do you know that?’  
Shane didn’t say anything and Tala let go of his hand. She smacked the dashboard with her fist before looking at Shane.   
‘Do you even care about what you just fucking did? Do you understand why it was wrong? Why we’re angry?’ Tala couldn’t stop her voice from raising and she knew Dale could hear her from outside. The anger flooded her whole body and she was close to shaking. ‘Do you even care why we’re angry?’  
‘I don’t give a shit about them, about what they think,’ Shane said lowly, pointing to the barn and then to the farmhouse. ‘I only care about what you think and how you feel. So no, I don’t care why they’re angry.’   
Tala sighed before shaking her head and rubbing her face. She ran a hand through her hair and scoffed. ‘I can’t believe you did it.’  
‘I had to protect the group somehow.’  
‘You should have waited.’  
‘You’re not actually against it,’ Shane said and Tala stopped short. She looked at him and he managed to stare her down. ‘I’m right.’  
‘I’m against how you did it,’ Tala hesitated too much and Shane saw right through her. ‘How soon you did it.’  
‘No, you’re not. You just think you should be. You’re glad I got it over and done with,’ Tala looked away and laughed slightly as she shrugged.  ‘But you’re still angry.’   
‘You could have got hurt,’ She shot back, glaring at Shane. She adjusted her position so that she faced him and she had refrained from punching him. ‘You’ve pissed off Hershel so much that we don’t even have a chance of making something here. You’re making it so difficult for yourself and I don’t think you even realise how bad you’re making things!’  
‘You just said you would leave with me!’  
‘Shane, you are not even trying,’ Tala shouted. She took a deep breath and looked away. ‘We just had that conversation. You didn’t even try to wait a day. You’re not even trying to control yourself, to be aware of the decisions you’re making. You’re not even trying to stop the fucking corruption of this world. I can’t go with you alone if every choice you make is on a whim, or, or a fight-or-flight impulse.’   
Shane didn’t say anything and the noise of the engine filled the cabin for a moment.  
‘You told me you were never going to become a corrupt cop,’ Tala said quietly and Shane just scoffed and started driving back down to the barn.  
‘Yeah, well, I’ve said a lot of things,’ He said and the two went silent. A tear slipped down Tala’s face and she looked out of the window, wiping her face slightly before they got out and began digging three graves. Tala helped Jimmy as Shane helped Andrea, still silently furious. T-Dog worked steadily by himself. After about twenty minutes of digging, Shane got out of the hole he had made, for once, and leaned against his shovel, sighing. Everyone else finished up too, panting hard.  
‘That’s it,’ T-Dog said quietly and Tala stared at Sophia’s blanket-covered body. Lori walked away to fetch the others and Andrea looked around with uncertainty. The rest of the group slowly came over and Shane stood a little further back than the rest as they gathered around for the funerals. Tala stood next to him despite her anger and tried to count how many services they had held for the dead. Roughly fifteen in the count of four months, thinking back to the very first days when Ashley and Eliza had been bitten.   
Tears sprang to Tala’s eyes as she thought of how scared Sophia must have been when she had died. Had she died hungry? In pain? Probably. She thought of how terrible it must have been for whatever time she was out there. The tears spilled over onto her cheeks and she cursed internally at how much she had been crying recently.  
T-Dog and Andrea continued with the cleanup and Lori called Tala into the house. She hurried up the front steps and they went into one of the bedrooms. Beth lay on the bed with her eyes open and Maggie leant over her.  
‘What’s wrong with her?’ Maggie asked, looking up at the pair and Tala sat on the other side of the bed, checking Beth’s pulse and looking into her vacant eyes.  
‘She might be in shock, where’s Hershel?’ Lori said after a moment and Glenn shrugged.  
‘We can’t find him anywhere,’ He said from the corner of the room.  
‘Hey, kiddo,’ Maggie said gently and Lori hurried out of the room.  
‘I know some shock first aid,’ Tala said quietly and Maggie looked up at her. Tala smiled reassuringly and she gestured towards her clothing. ‘Does she have anything that might be looser? We want to make her comfortable and not restrict her.’  
Maggie nodded and went to get more clothing. Tala looked to Glenn as she gently stroked Beth’s hair. ‘What happened?’ She asked and Glenn sighed, sitting at the end of the bed.  
‘She was doing the dishes and completely passed out. Is she going to be okay?’ He said and Tala nodded slowly, looking down at the young girl before Maggie came back in.  
‘She’s going to be okay, don’t worry. Help me get her shoes off and then go outside while we get her changed,’ Tala said quietly and Glenn nodded. He helped take off her shoes before he waited outside as Maggie and Tala got her in some loose fitting pyjamas.   
‘Thank you for the help, I didn’t know what to do, I panicked,’ Maggie said after they had lain Beth back down gently. Tala shook her head with a small smile.  
‘It’s understandable. I’m sorry about everything that … everything,’ She said quietly and Maggie just sighed. She waved her hand at Tala but Tala knew that it wasn’t okay. ‘Don’t let her eat or drink anything until she’s fully conscious again and put a blanket on her if she gets colder. If she seems to get worse or anything, come and find me or Lori. I’ll be back in a bit anyway to check on you both, but just in case.’  
Maggie nodded as Tala left the room and Tala nodded to Glenn as she went out. She went over to her tent and walked in to find Shane sat at the table. He didn’t turn when Tala came in so she went over to her bed and laid down, covering her face with her hands and exhaling heavily. After a moment she sat back up and reached for the water bottle on the floor. She took a few gulps before standing up and going to leave.   
‘Don’t go,’ Shane said hoarsely and Tala turned slightly. Shane didn’t say anything more so she went over to him and sat on his lap gently. They didn’t say anything for a while as Shane put his arms around Tala. He leant his head against her chest slightly and she gently stroked the back of his head.   
‘I want to start trying,’ He said finally, his voice cracking slightly and Tala frowned.  
‘What?’  
‘I want to start trying to be better,’ He said and he pulled away slightly to look up at Tala. ‘You deserve that from me.’  
‘You deserve that for yourself,’ Tala said and Shane shook his head.  
‘I highly doubt that,’ He said with a small smile before he gently caressed Tala’s cheek with his thumb. Tala leant in and kissed him.  
‘Like I already said, you’re much better than Mark ever was,’ She said and Shane shook his head.  
‘How?’ He asked and Tala frowned.  
‘What do you even -? I mean, in every way, I suppose,’ Tala said. Shane smirked and raised his eyebrows.   
‘Every way?’  
Tala blushed and look away. ‘Most ways.’  
‘I’m offended now,’ Tala quickly looked back at him, her face red as Shane’s smirk became wider.   
‘I couldn’t possibly know how good you are at -’ Tala stumbled and looked away again, sighing as Shane laughed slightly.  
‘At?’  
‘You know what I’m talking about,’ Tala muttered and Shane shook his head again.  
‘I really don’t,’  
‘How am I meant to know how good at fucking you are,’ Tala rolled her eyes with a small smile. ‘Other than Rick’s recollections of your old high school stories.’  
Shane laughed again before kissing Tala’s neck and running his hands down her body. ‘Well, you could always find out.’  
Tala blushed again before smiling slightly. ‘I could, huh?’  
‘I’m right here.’  
‘That was real smooth.’  
‘Did it work?’ Shane’s smirk was impressive even for him and Tala laughed slightly.  
‘You know it did.’

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

They stood in Hershel’s bedroom and everyone looked serious. Tala sat next to Shane guiltily as he leaned against the mantelpiece and Glenn looked almost stone faced from across the room.   
‘Your stepmother's things?’ Rick asked as he looked through some cardboard boxes.   
‘He was so sure she'd recover. They'd just pick up where they left off,’ Maggie explained and Tala looked out of the window.  
‘Looks like he found an old friend,’ Shane said, picking up a flask and throwing it to Rick. Rick looked at it before he gave it to Maggie.  
‘That belonged to my grandfather, gave it to dad when he died,’ She said, looking down at it.  
‘I didn't take Hershel for a drinker,’ Rick said.  
‘No, he gave it up on the day I was born. He didn't even allow liquor in the house.’   
‘What's the bar in town?’ Rick asked. Tala looked back up at Shane as he watched with a mild indifference surrounding the situation.  
‘Hatlin's. He practically lived there in his drinking days,’ Maggie said and Tala thought back to her own father before banishing the thought from her mind.  
‘Betting that's where I'll find him,’ Rick said and Glenn unfolded his arms.  
‘Yeah, I've seen the place. I'll take you,’ He said and Rick nodded.  
All right, I'll get the truck.’  
‘N-no,’ Maggie interjected, looking uneasy.  
‘It's an easy run,’ Glenn tried to reassure her.  
‘Like the pharmacy?’ Maggie shot back.  
‘Hey, Maggie? I'll bring him back,’ Rick said with a small smile and he left the room.  
‘Maggie, that was different,’ Glenn whispered as Lori walked out with Shane hot on her heels. Tala got up, shaking her head and she nodded to Glenn as she went out of the room.  
‘Rick? You want to have a conversation about this before you leave?’ Lori asked and Shane looked disapproving.  
‘So you're seriously gonna go after this guy with everything that's going on, huh? What are you gonna do?’ He asked and Lori nodded, hands on her hips.  
‘He's right. This is not the time to head off, not today. You don't always have-’   
‘I'm not arguing. It's the least I can do for Hershel after we-’ Rick tried to say.  
‘What? After we what?’ Shane interjects before he scoffed and walked away. Tala shook her head again, following after him.   
‘Hey, wait up,’ She said and they walked together.  
‘See, this is what I mean,’ Shane said, running a hand over his head. ‘“I’m not arguing.” Anything he says, it fucking goes.’  
‘His old job was Sheriff. He’s used to being the leader, I suppose,’ Tala said and Shane shot her a look. ‘I’m not saying you weren’t a good leader. I’m just saying that’s why he’s got this sort of mindset.’  
‘Yeah, I suppose you’re right,’ Shane said before pausing as they got to the well. ‘You’re a pretty good leader too.’  
‘What do you mean?’ She asked, sitting against the wall of the outbuilding situated next to it. Shane gestured to the water pump as he started using it, filling the bucket already placed there.  
‘Well, if it wasn’t for you, I doubt this water would be clean right now,’ He said and Tala shrugged.  
‘It was just the timing. I’m sure you and Rick would have done the same, and a better job,’ She said, watching as Shane poured the bucket over him. He shook the water out of his eyes and smiled.  
‘You really think Rick could have planned something that effective?’  
Tala smiled too but didn’t say anything. Shane kept pouring the water over himself before a rustling from the bushes caused them both to look up. Shane pulled out his pistol and he slowly started walking towards the sound. He kept it close to his body and Tala stood up, keeping a hand close to her holster.  
Carol came out of the woods and Shane tucked his pistol away hurriedly.  ‘Hey, Carol,’ Shane said quietly and Tala hurried to his side. ‘Carol? Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,’ He said quickly. ‘Are you alright? Come here.’  
He took her to the water pump and sat her down. Tala knelt beside her as Shane pumped some more water into the bucket. Tala gave Carol a hug and gently stroked the back of her head.  
Shane pulled the water bucket over and gently started washing the dirt off of Carol’s hands and arms. ‘I want you to now that I’m real sorry for your girl,’ He said quietly and Tala kept her arm around Carol’s shoulders.  
‘Thank you,’ Carol managed to say.  
‘When I opened that barn I had no idea. If I did,’ He paused for a moment and gave a mix between a tut and a scoff. ‘Everybody thinks that I'm a … I was just trying to keep everybody safe. I had no idea she was in there,’ He held Carol’s hand gently, looking up at her but she didn’t say anything. He finished cleaning the dirt off of her and she walked away, refusing Tala’s offers to make her something to eat.   
Shane sat back on the foundation of the water pump and Tala sighed, rubbing her head slightly in the heat. As she was about to speak, Lori came around the corner.  
‘Tala, do you think we could talk for a moment?’ She asked, eyeing Shane nervously.   
‘Sure,’ Tala said and she went over to where she was standing. Lori took them further back and Tala frowned. ‘What’s going on?’  
‘Dale thinks … Shane is dangerous,’ Lori was hesitant but Tala stood there patiently.  
‘Dale really doesn’t like Shane right now, I know,’ Tala said and Lori shook her head.  
‘He thinks Shane,’ Lori looked around nervously and lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘Killed Otis and left him for bait.’  
Tala frowned and shook her head. ‘That’s not Shane, Lori. I know him better than anyone, he wouldn’t do that no matter what.’  
‘He said he practically told him!’  
‘You believe him?’ Tala asked and Lori looked somewhat exasperated.  
‘I mean, I see where he could be coming from. He hasn’t been right since that night, Tala, surely you have noticed that,’ She said and Tala narrowed her eyes. She looked over towards Shane and didn’t say anything.  
‘I don’t want to believe that he’s dangerous, or, or violent, but I definitely think that he’s not who he used to be anymore,’ Lori said and Tala didn’t say anything. Lori watched her nervously and Tala noticed that her hand was cupping her stomach slightly.  
‘So, what was the point in telling me this? Were you trying to warn me, or is this an easy way for you to manipulate people against him because of how you two ended things?’ Lori blinked at Tala’s tone and made a guttural indignant, noise. ‘I’ll take that as the manipulation.’  
Tala walked away as Lori tried to call out and she just ignored her, going back over to Shane. She sat down and adjusted the holster on her leg nervously.  
‘If Lori is still there then act normal and as if I’m not telling you everything she just said,’ Tala said, flipping her hair back out of her face as she finished. Shane nodded and Tala sighed.  
‘Dale’s rather clued on about what happened to Otis. He told Lori and Lori was, I think, trying to warn me about how dangerous you are,’ Tala sighed and put her head in her hands. Shane didn’t say anything for a moment as he looked away.  
‘Oh, fuck,’ He said and Tala snorted.  
‘I think it’s a bit worse than that,’ She sighed and Shane swore again, looking up towards the sky. They went over to T-Dog and started piling up the rest of the walkers. Once they were ready, they each added a torch to the pile and Tala sat in the back of the pick up truck as she watched flames engulf the bodies. The smell became too much to bear and she walked away, her eyes stinging and her throat burning. She resisted the urge to look back at the fire and lit a cigarette, taking a shaky breath and wiping her eyes.   
She found Carl and smiled at him. He eyed the cigarette in her hand warily and Tala looked down at it.   
‘You don’t like smoking?’ She asked and he shook his head. She put it out and put the other half of it back in the packet with a small smile. ‘Don’t start.’  
Carl nodded before going back to his work. ‘Would you help me out?’ He asked and Tala sat next to him. More maths. Tala wondered where Lori was but didn’t ask as Carl explained why he was stuck.  
They worked steadily until it was dusk and Shane came over. He leant against the camping table and looked between Tala and Carl.   
‘You okay little man?’ He asked gently and Carl nodded, not looking him in the eye.  
‘Yeah, I’m okay,’ The young boy said quietly and Shane looked back to Tala. She rubbed Carl’s back gently and closed his workbook.  
‘Let’s go help make dinner, huh?’ She said with a smile and he nodded. ‘Go put your stuff away, I just need to talk to Shane.’  
‘You’re such a good mother,’ Shane said after a moment, staring after Carl. Tala stiffened slightly before turning to him. His smile faltered at her look and he licked his lips nervously. ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’  
‘It doesn’t matter anymore,’ She shook her head and as she stood up Shane pulled her into a hug.   
‘I’m sorry,’ He murmured in her ear and she pulled away slightly at the sight of Carl.   
‘It’s alright,’ She shook her head again and held her hand out to Carl. ‘Hey, buddy, let’s go up to the house.’  
The three of them went up to the farmhouse and into the dining room. Tala helped Maggie and Patricia make dinner while Carl and Shane set the table. As Tala brought out the salad, Andrea walked in with Dale.   
‘They should have been back by now,’ She said with a small frown and Shane rubbed his hands together.  
‘Yeah. They’re probably holed up somewhere,’ He said, sitting at the head of the table. Tala sat at the place next to him, opposite T-Dog. To her displeasure, Andrea sat down next to her a moment later. ‘First thing in the morning, we’ll go out and find ‘em.’  
There were murmurs of thank-you’s as Maggie and Patricia sat down. Tala stared at the plate in front of her and realised that she wasn’t hungry at all, the image of Sophia’s body still stuck in her mind and the smell of the burning flesh still seemingly clinging to her. Shane looked at her for a moment before taking her hand. She gave him a brief smile and picked up her fork before Shane looked away.  
‘Carl, I want you to keep your head up, okay? Your old man, he’s the toughest son of a -’  
‘No cussing in the house,’ Patricia said sharply, keeping her eyes on Shane and Tala looked at Shane with a smirk. Shane paused for a moment and nodded.  
‘Sorry,’ He said simply and he looked towards Tala sheepishly.   
‘Lori? Dinner,’ Called out Carol and Tala pulled her hand away from Shane, putting it on her lap. Shane looked up expectantly towards the hall and Tala refrained from frowning.  
‘She’s not in there,’ Carl said and Dale leaned forward.  
‘Where is she?’ He asked urgently.  
Maggie looked around and Carol looked to Tala. Shane’s face went stoney and he was quiet for a moment, chewing his food.  
‘Carl, when’s the last time you saw your mom?’ He asked, leaning forward.  
‘This afternoon,’ Carl said, looking between Tala and Shane.  
‘She was worried about Rick, asked me to look in on Carl,’ Andrea said.  
‘She went after them?’ Dale asked.  
‘She didn’t say that,’ Andrea cut in and Shane’s look was what annoyed Tala the most. He threw his napkin down and stood up abruptly.   
‘Well, she’s got to be around here somewhere,’ He said and Carl sped after him. Tala sighed as the others all stood up and she took a piece of bread, nibbling on it as everyone went out. She caught up with Carl and smiled at him, putting her hand on his shoulder.   
‘She’ll be okay,’ Tala said and Carl didn’t say anything. They stood with Dale as the others looked around. Tala watched as Shane became increasingly worried. Something nawed at her in her stomach and she glanced at Carl. She wondered if either of them knew Lori was pregnant.   
Shane stormed over. ‘She’s not at the barn.’  
‘I checked the yard,’ Said T-Dog as he joined, too.  
‘Well, where is she?’ Carl asked, his voice tinged with worry. Tala put her arm around him and he looked up at her almost expectantly.  
‘She asked Daryl to go into town,’ Carol said breathlessly, coming over to the group as well. ‘She must have gone herself.’  
Carl put his hand over his mouth and Andrea reached out to him as Tala stroked his arm gently. He shied away from Andrea and shook his head before running off to his tent.  
‘Carl,’ Andrea called out after him but Tala put her hand up.  
‘Leave him be,’ She said quietly before looking towards Shane. She knew he was going to want to go after her. She knew it was bad but she didn’t want him to go after her. What she wanted more than anything in the world was to be enough for him.   
‘Did you know about this?’ Shane turned to Dale.  
‘No,’ Dale said slowly.  
‘Look, just,’ Shane glanced at Tala before looking back at the old man and Tala sighed, sucking on the inside of her cheeks. ‘Did she take a gun?’  
‘I don’t know,’ Dale said and Shane sighed before walking towards his car quickly. ‘I wouldn’t let her go out there alone.’  
‘Shane, wait a second,’ Tala said, walking after him but he got in his car and slammed the door. ‘Shane!’ Tala called out as he started the engine. Tala stood and watched as he turned the car around and sped down the farm drive. She stood there until everyone else started walking away. She heard footsteps and folded her arms, watching the rest of the dust settle on the drive.   
‘They had a thing, right?’ Dale murmured and Tala didn’t look at him.  
‘What?’ She said quietly.  
‘Before Rick came back, at the quarry. They were, I don’t know, dating, right? Something like that?’ He said and Tala sighed.  
‘Something like that.’  
‘Why are you doing this to yourself? Surely you have something better to do?’ He asked and finally Tala looked at him.  
‘Honestly, Dale, I’m not entirely sure why I do anything at this point. It really seems like most people are being driven by their stupidity, me included,’ She looked back at the driveway before snorting and walking away. ‘I guess I’ll go find something better to do.’  
She felt Dale’s eyes on her back as she walked away and realised that there were tears in her eyes. She blinked furiously before going to Carl’s tent. When she didn’t find him there, she went back up to the house.   
She found him in the bedroom he had recovered in, his eyes red. She sat on the bed with him and he hugged into her.   
‘She’ll be alright,’ Tala said gently, stroking his arm. Carl just sniffed and they sat there for a long time before Carl ended up falling asleep on her lap. Tala looked down at the young boy and she was hit with a wave of grief for her little girls. She smiled at the memories of watching Disney movies late at night when they couldn’t sleep. How Ashley would always fall asleep first in Tala’s lap and Eliza would always try desperately to stay awake for the happy ending but never managed to.  Tala’s chest ached and she heard a car door slam. She gently shook Carl awake. ‘Someone is back,’ She said quietly and Carl’s eyes widened. They made their way down to the drive and saw that the group were crowded around Lori. Tala hung back, her eyes tracing Shane.  
Lori stormed forward. ‘You asshole.’  
‘Lori,’ Shane started.   
‘Where is my husband?’ She shoved into him. Tala walked forward, putting her hand on Carl’s shoulder and he frowned up at her.   
‘Lori, I will go after him in the morning,’ Shane continued. ‘I will find him in the morning. Hey! First things first I gotta look after you, I gotta make sure the baby’s alright.’ Everyone looked stunned. Tala pinched the bridge of her nose and Carl walked forward.  
‘You’re having a baby?’ He asked. Lori’s head shot around and Shane sighed. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’  
Lori stuttered and Shane turned away, shaking his head and leaning against the car. Nobody said anything for a moment before Dale held his arm out.   
‘Come on, let’s make sure you’re alright,’ He said gently and Andrea put her hand on Lori’s back.  
‘Come on,’ she said quietly, leading Lori away. Lori stared at Shane as they left and Tala watched them leave.   
‘It’s astonishing how you keep on managing to do this,’ Tala said finally and Shane looked up.  
‘I’m looking out for members of the group, I-’  
‘Shut up,’ Tala said and Shane swallowed. ‘Next thing you’re going to say is that you think the baby is yours.’  
Shane was quiet for a moment too long. Tala felt her chest tighten and she scoffed. She shook her head, the breath caught in her throat and she went to the tent. He came in shortly after her. Tala didn’t turn as she lay in bed as he turned on the small camping lantern sat on the table.   
‘Tala,’ Shane said quietly. When she didn’t answer, he crouched by the side of the camp bed and reached for her hand in the dark. ‘Tala,’ He said again and she just turned over. ‘Don’t do this.’  
‘I’m not doing anything,’ She practically spat and Shane sat on the floor, sighing.  
‘I couldn’t just leave her out there,’ He said gently. ‘I couldn’t do that to Carl.’   
Tala didn’t say anything and Shane sighed again.  
‘She had crashed the car in a ditch,’ He continued. ‘She had managed to flip it. Real bad.’   
‘I don’t,’ Tala stopped herself and took a breath. Shane waited.   
‘You don’t what?’ He asked after a moment.  
‘I think you should know something about her,’ Tala said quietly, sitting up. ‘I’m not saying this from some unhappy, jealous part of me, alright? I’ve known this since before. I’m telling you because you -’ She paused and took a breath. ‘You deserve to know the truth about her.’  
‘What happened?’ Shane asked and Tala took his hand in the dim light.  
‘Shane, really. I need you to understand, I’m not trying to put you against her because I’m upset -’  
‘Tala, what did she do?’ Shane said quietly and Tala hesitated.  
‘Lori and Mark,’ She started slowly. ‘They had an affair together. It started less than six months into our marriage.’  
Shane didn’t say anything and Tala stopped herself from holding her breath.  
‘I’m sorry,’ Tala said and Shane placed his hand on her cheek. She almost flinched out of habit.   
‘No. I’m sorry for ever looking at her,’ He said quietly and Tala leant into his hand slightly. ‘How did you find out?  
‘They were sloppy,’ Tala said with a cold smile. ‘Mark started doing the night shifts at the hospital. He would see her in our house during the day, when Rick and I were at the station. Once I came home early. I walked into the house, saw her clothes in the hall, heard their moans in the bedroom. I left. I went straight back to the station because I “forgot something” and then didn’t feel like going home. Mark wanted to get caught. When I went home that night I didn’t even argue. I just told him that she could have him.’  
‘Why did you stay together?’ Shane asked incredulously.  
‘By the time I had caught them, the twins were already about 18 months old. I couldn’t bring them up well on my payslip alone. It was just down to … pure functionality. Mark slept in the spare room, I put all of our photos that didn’t have Ashley and Eliza in them in the loft,’ Tala paused and laughed. ‘He tried, just before the start of all of this, to fix things. He suggested that we should get a pet, start going to marriage counselling, maybe even move. He gave me some shrink’s business card. I told him to shove it up his ass and then went to work.’   
Shane snorted and Tala wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ He murmured into her ear and she kissed his cheek.  
‘I don’t think you realise how far wound around her little finger you are,’ Tala said quietly. ‘If I were you, I’d cut the finger off.’  
‘I’ve never heard the saying quite like that before,’ Shane said and Tala smiled. He kissed her lightly. ‘God, I wish I had had the balls to tell you I loved you when you were having second thoughts about Mark, maybe then -’ He stopped short at Tala’s expression.   
‘You loved me?’ Her voice was unreasonably weak, her heart flipping in her chest. She blinked, almost feeling as though she had just went down a drop on the world’s tallest roller coaster.  
Shane licked his lips before putting his hand against the side of her head. ‘I’ve always loved you.’  
Tala bit her lip as she smiled and looked down at the floor. ‘Cheesy.’  
‘Don’t ruin the moment,’ Shane pulled her onto his lap and kissed her, his hands tangling in her hair as he pulled her close. Tala’s arms wrapped around his neck and she smiled against him. She leant her head on his shoulder when they were finished and Shane looked towards the direction of the other tents. ‘I think Rick knows about me. Does he know about Mark?’  
Tala faltered slightly. She didn’t say anything for a moment, deliberating.   
‘When we were in the patrol car,’ She started quietly. ‘When Rick was talking about the argument they had in front of Carl. I was going to tell him.’  
‘Why didn’t you?’   
‘I couldn’t bring myself to bring an end to his blissful ignorance,’ She said and Shane snorted.  
‘Blissful ignorance, huh?’ He said and Tala shrugged.  
‘As you said, I couldn't do that to Carl. Sure, his mother is a dirty, manipulative cheat. But divorces caused by adultery are messy. They don’t end well for the kids, I know,’ Tala sighed. ‘I’m going to be brutally honest here, but if she had died tonight? I don’t think I would have managed to care.’  
Shane looked down. ‘Knowing what I know now,’ He hesitated. ‘I don’t think I would have either.’  
Tala raised her eyebrows. ‘You’ve changed your tune pretty quickly.’  
‘I think it’s for the best,’ He said and he tapped her leg. ‘I have a couple of people to talk to, I think.’   
Tala moved off of his lap and she watched him get up and head to the tent entrance. ‘Are you going to tell Rick?’ She asked quietly and Shane hesitated at the door.   
‘We’ll see what the situation is tomorrow,’ He said, and left.


	17. Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning for chapter 17: Attempt of sexual assault (it doesn't happen), graphic fighting and violence

#  Seventeen

##  **_C h o i c e_ **

_ /tʃɔɪs/ _

_ Noun - An act of choosing between two or more possibilities. _

✦

Shane hadn’t come back by the time Tala fell asleep, but she woke with a start to the sound of cursing and the tent unzipping.   
‘Shane?’ She whispered and the zip tugged.  
‘Yeah?’ He whispered back and Tala’s muscles relaxed.  
‘You scared me,’ She said, padding over to the entrance and unzipping it for Shane.   
He practically staggered in, grabbing Tala’s shoulder for balance. He smelt like booze.   
‘Where did you find that?’ Tala asked as he sat down. Shane rubbed his face and sniffed.   
‘Very back of a cupboard,’ He said slowly. ‘I don’t think they knew they had it.’ Tala rolled her eyes in the darkness. She got back into bed and sighed.   
‘Go to sleep,’ She said and Shane made a clumsy move into the bed.  
‘She used me,’ His voice sounded hoarse. ‘She used me for her own protection and, and, pleasure, when I treated her and Carl like my own she was just using me. She didn’t even feel anything. How can a person do that?’  
His voice got steadily louder and Tala turned over, laying her arm over his chest and gently laid her hand on his cheek.  
‘I don’t know,’ She murmured, exhaustion seeped in her voice and Shane ran his hand down his face before resting it on top of Tala’s.  
‘You’re not doing that,’ He whispered loudly.  
‘Of course I’m not,’ Tala tried to stay awake.  
‘Please don’t do that,’ Shane continued. ‘You’re the only good thing I’ve got going. The only…’ He trailed off and Tala kissed his shoulder.   
‘I love you,’ She said quietly and Shane’s other arm wrapped around her.  
‘I love you too.’

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Tala got dressed and looked at Shane as he slept. His mouth was open and he was drooling a tiny bit. She rubbed her eyes, pulled her top over her head and gently shook him.  
‘Wake up, we’ve got to look for Rick and Glenn,’ She said and Shane groaned. When he didn’t do anything else, Tala shook him again. ‘You’ve got fifteen minutes. Get up.’  
He groaned again, waving his hand in acknowledgement and Tala shook her head with a small smile and an eye roll as she went out of the tent. Dale gave her the gun bag and she looked through it, taking out a couple of guns and lying them on the bench for people to get when they were ready. She roughly counted the ammunition left as Dale hung by her nervously and she looked up.  
‘What’s up?’ She asked, and Dale looked hesitant. Tala smiled reassuringly and Dale opened his mouth to speak but Shane came out of their tent. He came over to Tala and picked up his shotgun, giving a half smile.  
‘The sun is really giving me a hard time today,’ He said quietly, prominent bags under his eyes and Tala snorted.   
‘Enjoy,’ She said and Shane shook his head. He glanced at Dale, who was glaring at him, and the smile faded slightly.   
‘Something wrong, Dale?’ Shane asked and Dale seemed to bristle.   
‘No,’ He said shortly and Shane shrugged before going to make the car ready.  
‘What’s wrong, Dale?’ Tala asked quietly and Dale looked over at Shane’s back.  
‘You be careful out there,’ He replied and Tala slung her shotgun across her shoulders.   
‘I know how to handle myself, but thank you,’ She said gently and Dale’s eyes traced back over to Shane. ‘I don’t think you should be worried about yourself,’ He murmured and Tala didn’t say anything. She went over to the car as T-Dog and Daryl came over.   
‘We’ll go into the town, stop at the pharmacist. If everything goes to shit, we’ll meet back there,’ Shane said while Andrea came over and the group nodded. An engine sounded and Tala looked back before lowering her gun to her side.  
‘It looks like we don’t have to,’ She said and Shane stood at her side with a somewhat sour look on his face.  
The car pulled up in the driveway and everyone gathered by the porch. Carl and Lori hugged Rick and Shane didn’t even bat an eyelid. Maggie ran straight to Glenn, bypassing her father completely. Hershel kept walking and Glenn looked despondent.   
‘Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery,’ Hershel instructed and she nodded, worry lining her face.  
Lori and Rick talked quietly, and Tala stared at the car and tried to think if she recognised the person in the back seat. Shane said something and Tala took a few steps forward while clearing her throat.  
‘Are you going to introduce us?’ She asked loudly, her eyes fixed on the blindfolded boy in the car.   
‘Who the hell is that?’ T-Dog followed her eyes and Tala looked back at the group.  
‘That’s Randall,’ Said Glenn, squinting in the sun. Everyone came in around the car and Tala glimpsed Shane’s look at Rick. She turned back to the boy in the car, saw how he was breathing and realised in an instant he was unconscious.   
‘What the hell have you done to him?’ She called out once she had yanked the door open. The makeshift tourniquet tied around his thigh was soaked through with blood and there was a gaping wound straight through his leg.   
‘It was our only choice, he had a wrought iron fence post stuck through his leg,’ Rick said in a vaguely desperate tone. Tala looked at him and then looked back at Randall before hauling him onto her shoulder. T-Dog came forward and the two of them took Randall to where Hershel had hurried off to. Once they had him lying on the surgery table, Tala shook her head again and walked out with a look of distaste settled on her face. She walked into the farmhouse and stood by the open window, looking out at the farm as the group argued behind her.   
If Rick had anything to do with this poor boy falling onto the fence, Tala thought, then he better give her a reason she can’t argue with. He looked no older than twenty. Tala clenched her jaw and folded her arms across her chest.  
‘We couldn’t just leave him behind, he would have bled out,’ Rick explained. ‘If he lived that long,’ He added.  
‘It’s gotten bad in town,’ Glenn said quietly.   
‘What do we do with him?’ Andrea said. Shane shifted beside Tala, his hand brushing against her arm but she didn’t look at him.  
‘I’ve repaired his calf muscle as best as I can but he’ll probably have nerve damage,’ Shane moved again, looking at Tala with a skeptical expression that she imagined was a ‘look at how bad Rick is at this job’, but maybe she was projecting her own subconscious thoughts onto it. She looked back out of the window and tried to relax her face.  
‘He won’t be on his feet for at least a week,’ Hershel pressed on.   
‘When he is, we’ll give him a canteen, take him out to the main road, send him on his way,’ Rick said and Tala turned to face the group. Her eyes bore into Rick and he avoided her gaze.  
‘Isn’t that the same as leaving him for the walkers?’ Andrea said and for once in her life, Tala found herself agreeing with the other woman.  
‘He’ll have a fighting chance,’ Rick said.  
‘You’re just going to let him go?’ Shane asked and Tala dragged her eyes up to him. ‘He knows where we are.’  
‘He was blindfolded the whole way here, he’s not a threat,’ Rick countered.  
‘He’s not a threat?’ Shane said incredulously. ‘How many of them were there? You killed three of their men, you took one of them hostage but they just aren’t going to come looking for him?’  
‘They left him for dead,’ Rick almost spat and Tala glowered. ‘No one is looking.’  
‘We’re not sending him out there on his own,’ She said lowly. ‘We’re not leaving him for dead, too.’  
‘We should still post a guard,’T-Dog said.  
‘He’s out cold right now,’ Hershel said. ‘Will be for hours.’  
‘You know what, I’m going to go get him some flowers and candy,’ Shane said, walking across the room.  
‘Shane, shut up,’ Tala said coldly and he looked at her, shaking his head.  
‘Look at this, folks,’ He said, keeping his eyes on her. ‘We’re back in fantasy land.’  
Hershel started forward. ‘You know we haven’t even dealt with what you did at my barn yet,’ He said and Shane turned to him, his eyebrows raised. Tala ran a hand through her hair and started walking forwards. ‘Let me make this perfectly clear, once and for all, this is my farm. I wanted you gone. Rick talked me out of it but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. So do us both a favour. Keep your mouth shut.’  
Shane turned his head and Tala pushed him towards the door. ‘Come on,’ She said lowly. He looked back at Hershel for a moment before scoffing and leaving. Tala followed him out as he ran a hand over his head and they went back to their tent.   
‘Shane,’ Tala finally said before he was about to go in. He looked back at her and she pulled out the cigarette packet. She raised her eyebrows and he came over. They sat down on the picnic bench beside the tents and Shane sighed.  
‘Why are you so angry about this? What side are you on?’ He asked and Tala looked back at the house.   
‘I’m on his side,’ She finally said and Shane scoffed.  
‘Rick’s?’  
‘No,’ Tala shot at him before her shoulders relaxed slightly. ‘The kid. Randall. I’m on his side. He doesn’t deserve to die just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.’  
Shane ran his hand over his head again and didn’t say anything. They sat in silence for a minute until he reached out and held Tala’s hand.  
‘You’ve gotta think about the bigger picture,’ He said quietly and Tala pulled her hand away before dragging her eyes back to Shane. She shook her slowly and he leant forward. ‘If we send that boy away we could have a whole other group fighting against us. A - a war!’  
‘I’m saying we shouldn’t send him out at all,’ Tala snapped at him and Shane leant back. ‘We keep him, nurse him back to health, make him a useful, contributing member of this group.’  
‘So you want to keep him like a little baby bird you found on the side of the road?’ Shane asked in a mocking tone. Tala shook her head, the look of distaste coming back to her face.   
‘Your dick belongs in your pants, not your personality,’ She replied coolly and Shane looked away. They were quiet for a moment and Tala fiddled with her cigarette. As she was about to apologise, Shane looked back at her.  
‘And what if his group comes and finds him?’ He asked and Tala shrugged.  
‘They’ll see that we took care of their boy, that we didn’t hurt him. We helped,’ She said quietly and Shane exhaled.   
‘I’m really trying to see it the way you do,’ He said after another moment.   
Tala reached her hand back out onto the table and he held it. ‘It’s not hard, Shane. Think about it. Go through it with me.’   
Shane raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything. He nodded as an invitation for Tala to continue.  
‘Rick, Glenn and Hershel find him on the fence, his leg being ripped to shreds. His group has abandoned him, left him to feed the walkers, a distraction so that they can get out,’ Tala paused to take a drag of her cigarette and Shane seemed to grimace. ‘This poor boy then has to get his leg pulled from off of the fence. While he is fully conscious, I imagine. Then he has to wait the night, for however long was left of it, until Rick can escape and come back to the farm. And now that he’s someplace safe, the poor boy is being scrutinised and prodded and poked by all of us! Threatened to be kicked to the curb!’ Shane still didn’t say anything and Tala sniffed, scratching her nose. ‘You’d think if he had a family he wouldn’t have been left for dead. Those guys he was with would have tried, at least, to bring him back to his parents. So let’s assume his parents are dead. He’s alone, the people he thought he could trust deserted him. He just needs someplace safe, someplace that’ll be alright for him,’ She grimaced too, turning away from Shane. He kept his hand on her arm and she sighed. ‘I don’t see what’s so hard about keeping him here.’  
‘How many people actually want him here though?’ He asked and Tala shrugged.  
‘Obviously not Rick. Probably not Lori, since she’s playing the loyal wife now. I’m still holding out hope for Dale, and Andrea though.’  
Shane’s eyebrows went up again and he smirked slightly. ‘Andrea, huh?’  
‘Didn’t I tell you? We’re best friends now,’ Tala said with a small smile of her own. It faded slightly. ‘I didn’t mean that, about you being a dick.’  
Shane shook his head. ‘It’s alright, even if you did. I am a dick.’  
Tala came around the side of the bench and sat back down on his lap. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘Thank you for trying.’   
That smile again. It played on his lips and Tala felt a fluttering in her chest. It was so genuine, so real. Shane hadn’t smiled like that in weeks.   
‘I don’t know if this is the right thing to say,’ Shane started and Tala raised her eyebrows. ‘But compared to how I had felt when I was with Lori, this feels a hell of a lot better.’  
Tala smiled and kissed him. His hand went up to her cheek and he tucked some stray hair behind her ear. ‘Who knew you were missing out on so much?’ She asked and Shane let out a laugh. He kissed her again swiftly but Tala pulled back.  
‘What’s wrong?’ He asked with a frown.  
‘I think I’ve got to tell Rick,’ She said quietly. She got off Shane’s lap and sighed. ‘He can’t … he can’t not know.’  
Shane nodded slowly. He got up and gestured to the rest of camp. ‘Let’s tell him together,’ He said and Tala sighed again before getting up with him.   
Rick walked towards them as they neared the other tents and Tala raised her eyebrows. ‘Speak of the devil,’ She called out. ‘We were just coming to talk to you.’   
Rick paused. ‘You were, huh?’ He said, eyeing Shane with a hostile expression.   
‘There’s something you should know,’ Shane said quietly. Tala gestured back to their tent, which was set slightly away from the others. Rick followed them back to the picnic table they had been sitting at and Tala sat next to him. He waited patiently and Tala took a deep breath.   
‘I’ve been sitting on this since before,’ She said hesitantly and Rick glanced at Shane across the table. Shane leant his elbows against the edge and didn’t say anything. ‘It’s … it’s not great, Rick.’  
‘Tell me,’ He said, his eyes losing all hostility as he looked back to Tala quickly. Tala bit her lip and looked at Shane. He nodded in encouragement and Tala sighed.  
‘Shane and … Lori. It wasn’t the first time she’s done that,’ Tala started and Rick glared at Shane.   
‘You did it before?’ He spat and Tala held up her hands.  
‘No, no, no. I worded it terribly, that’s not what I meant,’ She said, putting a hand on his arm and he looked at her. ‘Lori and Mark had an affair for about … about two and a half years.’  
Rick looked like he had just been punched in the stomach. He blinked a lot, opened and closed his mouth several times and the colour drained from his face.  
‘I’m so sorry,’ Tala whispered. She kept stuttering an apology but Rick shook his head, holding his hand up as he looked towards his tent and Tala stopped talking. She bit her lip again and glanced between Shane and Rick.  
‘She … with Mark?’ He asked hoarsely.  
‘With Mark,’ Tala said in a tiny voice. Rick dragged his eyes back to Tala and nodded.  
‘When did you … find out,’ Rick asked and Tala sighed.  
‘I managed to-’ She couldn’t finish the rest of her sentence. Tala’s voice completely deserted her. Her heart pounded in her throat and she grimaced, looking towards Shane. She couldn’t bear the look on Rick’s face. It was a mixture of pure heartbreak and complete resignation. The surrender of Rick’s love for the completely wrong woman.   
‘Tala caught them in the act,’ Shane said gently and Rick looked away from the two of them. ‘She was going to tell you, the days leading up to when you got shot, but couldn’t bear to.’   
‘You stayed with Mark,’ His voice was barely a whisper. ‘You didn’t even let on that things were bad.’  
‘Only so I could provide for my children,’ Tala said. He looked down at her hand on his arm and a tear managed to slip down his face. Tala hugged him and the two stayed like that for a long time. Out of the corner of her eye, Tala saw Shane look away.   
‘I’m sorry,’ Tala whispered and Rick pulled back.  
‘I’m sorry, too,’ He said and Tala blinked away the tears that were forming. ‘Finding out like that must have been … awful.’  
Tala sighed and gave a sad smile. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t want you and Carl to have to go through that but … I really just, I couldn’t keep it from you.’  
Shane leant forward and Rick didn’t glare anymore. ‘When Tala told me last night,’ He said gently. ‘I instantly wished I had never even stepped near her. I was so weak. That’s what it was. For weeks, when this thing started, I was the weakest son of a bitch you’d ever seen. I didn’t know what I was doing. But with you, Tala, and Carl?’ He tried to crack a smile. It was shaky but Shane followed through with it. ‘I’ll take on Superman.’  
Rick raised his eyebrows before shaking his head and laughing through his nose lightly. ‘And the baby?’  
‘Whatever happens, you’re the father,’ Shane said after a moment. Then he clapped Rick on the shoulder and gave a better smile. ‘You’re one hell of a father, man.’   
Rick shook his head with a small smile before getting up. He started walking away before he turned back. ‘One last thing,’ He said quietly.  
‘Anything,’ Tala said instantly.  
‘When did they stop?’  
Tala frowned again as she tried to remember. ‘I think Mark broke it off when he found out you had been shot. When he saw us all at the hospital. It had been about almost two months since I had found out, I think.’  
Rick grunted and walked away. Tala’s frown deepened. Had Mark been jealous of Shane? The day Rick had been admitted into hospital, Shane and Tala had been sat in the corridor on the floor, Rick’s blood covering their uniforms. Lori hadn’t been told yet and Rick was in the middle of surgery. Tala held Shane as he sobbed, thinking Rick was dying. She had stroked his back and murmured reassurance. She was panicking about the exact same thing inside. Then Mark had walked in through the doors, wearing the same scrubs as all the other nurses in the hospital. He had heard on the radio a few floors above them that a local police officer had been shot while on a call. He had called the station and was told that Shane, Rick and Tala were all at the same hospital he was working in. He came in the ward looking as white a ghost and stopped short when he saw Tala and Shane on the floor. Tala hadn’t even stood up. She just eyed him from where she sat and kept hugging Shane.   
Three days after, Mark offered Tala marriage counselling sessions and a renewed sense of self, vowing to be the loving husband Tala had always wanted him to be. He suggested they could get a dog, or a cat, or move to a new neighbourhood.   
_ “I know how much you like that place down on Roosevelt street, and you love Retrievers,” He had said, handing her a counsellor’s business card and a sickeningly cocky smile. “How about we give it a go?”   
_ ‘Tala?’ Shane said, his hand on her arm.   
Tala grimaced and pinched the bridge of her nose, pulling herself out of her thoughts. ‘Sorry.’  
‘You were in a whole other world,’ Shane said quietly and Tala shook her head with a small smile.   
‘Yeah, I was,’ She said simply. Then she shook her head again and got up. ‘I’m going to see if anyone in the house needs help.’   
She walked in the direction of the farmhouse and didn’t look back. Hershel was walking towards her and she nodded to him. She went to keep walking, thinking that he was looking for Rick, but he held out his arm as she went past.  
‘Tala,’ He said and she looked back with a frown. ‘The boy, Randall. He’s awake. I thought that you might want to see him.’  
Tala blinked for a moment. ‘Why me?’ She asked quietly and he looked towards the tents.  
‘It doesn’t seem many other people want him here. You do,’ He said gently. ‘I thought that maybe you would help take care of him before Rick takes him away.’  
‘Of course,’ Tala said, trying to keep the sour look off of her face as she thought of Rick leaving him by the roadside like an unwanted puppy. Hershel led her to one of the sheds and she saw Randall sat on the floor, handcuffs around his wrists and a bloodied bandage wrapped around his leg. He looked up at her fearfully and she took a moment. She thanked Hershel and as he left, she took a breath.  
‘Do you need anything?’ Tala asked as she crouched down and Randall looked at her. He didn’t say anything, glancing at the knife tucked in on her belt. Tala pushed her belt around slightly, trying to hide it from view.  
‘Please don’t hurt me,’ Randall practically squeaked and Tala shook her head slightly.  
‘That’s not why I’m here,’ She said. 'I’m trying to help.’  
Randall relaxed slightly. ‘You are?’  
‘Yeah, I am,’ Tala said gently. He looked up at her for a moment before swallowing.  
‘Could I have some water, please?’

  
  
  


.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Tala spent the next couple of days helping Patricia and Hershel look after Randall, as well as doing the various other chores that needed to be done with Carol and Lori. The sun shone brightly and the heat was already beginning to rise in the early morning. Tala walked over to where Rick, Shane and Daryl were standing with a small smile on her face.  
‘So,’ She said, leaning on the bonnet of the pick-up truck. ‘I want to go hunting.’  
Daryl raised his eyebrows towards her and Shane turned with a frown. ‘What?’ He asked and Tala shrugged.  
‘I want to go out into the woods and get something to eat. I need something to do, I want to do something,’ She said and Rick gave a small smile. Daryl’s eyebrows were still raised and Tala looked at him with an expectant expression.  
‘You hunt?’ He finally said and she smiled.  
‘I thought you already knew,’ She said. Shane shook his head, putting his hand up.  
‘Woah, no. That sounds dangerous,’ He said. ‘You’re not going out there alone.’  
‘Fuck it, I’ll go with her,’ Daryl said, slinging his crossbow across his shoulder. Shane looked like he was about to interject again but Tala beamed and rubbed her hands together excitedly.  
‘Great, I’ll go get my things and we can head out,’ She said. She darted to the RV, grabbing a rifle, one of the maps and a bag. As she walked out, Shane shook his head, walking towards her.  
‘Don’t go out there,’ He said, his voice strained. Tala looked up at him and smiled again.  
‘Don’t you want some really, really good venison for dinner?’ She said, putting her hand on his arm. ‘I’ll be fine.’  
‘It’s dangerous,’ Shane pushed, looking at Tala imploringly, cupping her face in his hands.  
‘You used to go out all the time, scavenging, getting water. How is this any different?’ Tala took her hand back, frowning slightly. ‘Daryl’s coming with me, it’ll be alright.’  
Shane looked at her for a moment longer before sighing. ‘I just don’t … feel good about it. The kid’s group could be out there, looking for him,’ He muttered. Tala kissed him gently.   
‘You really think I felt any different?’ She murmured and Shane shook his head, sighing again. ‘I’ll be okay. I promise you, I will bring back the finest meat you’ve ever tasted.’  
‘I’m holding you to that,’ He said eventually, kissing her again and Tala smiled against his lips.  
‘Challenge accepted,’ She said before walking back to Daryl, putting the map down on the bonnet. ‘I’m thinking we have a look around this general area,’ She gestured towards where Carl had been shot.   
‘Where we were with Carl?’ Rick said, his eyebrow raised.   
‘If there’s one deer, there’s usually more around,’ Tala said and Daryl nodded.   
‘Sounds good, let’s go,’ He said and they made their way towards the tree line. ‘You want to stick together or split up and cover more ground?’ He asked when they were out of earshot of the others.  
‘If we split up, we’ll be quieter,’ Tala replied. He nodded again and Tala nodded her head south. ‘You go north and we’ll loop round to the pond on the map, looks like it’s almost a mile away. If one of us isn’t there we wait, okay?’  
‘Sounds like a plan. If I hear a scream, I’ll come running,’ Daryl said reassuringly and Tala smiled.  
‘Same for you,’ She said and he rolled his eyes with a small smile. They made their way into the woods and split soon after. Tala slowed her pace significantly, keeping the rifle lodged at her shoulder. It felt nice and heavy and somewhat homely. She sweeped the forest slowly, but the woods were serenely empty. She held out hope, making her way through as birds sang, high up in their homes. She heard a rustle in the leaves and stopped, turning towards the sound. Two men were making their way through the trees. They hadn’t noticed her yet.  
Tala slung the rifle across her shoulder before swiftly pulling out her pistol. She kept it close to her leg, eyeing the men. She glanced around quickly, making sure there were no walkers around. She looked back at the men, raising the pistol. She took a breath. Would it be better to slip away at the risk of being seen or taking control of the situation? Tala stepped forward on instinct and the younger man looked around.   
‘Put your hands where I can see them,’ Tala called out and the other quickly turned, his eyes wide. He eyed Tala before smirking slightly as his hands went up.   
‘What’s a Scot doing all the way out here? You’re a little far from home, aren’t you?’ He said and Tala raised an eyebrow.   
‘My home has been King County for seven years. I never picked up the accent,’ She said coolly and the older man nodded.  
‘King County, huh? What brought you there?’ He asked and Tala shrugged.  
‘A job,’ She replied.  
‘Was it a good one?’  
‘What does it matter?’  
‘I guess it doesn’t,’ He shrugged and Tala looked between the two men. ‘You work someplace bad, then?’  
Tala frowned. ‘No. I worked at the police station.’  
‘Oh, a pretty face like you would be a real nice receptionist. Those cops were real lucky seeing you everyday,’ The younger man looked somewhat uncomfortable. He looked like he was Tala’s age.  
‘Depute Sheriff, but thanks for calling me pretty,’ Tala said and the young man blushed.   
‘Eric, maybe she could help,’ He muttered and the older one, Eric, glared at him. Tala tilted her head slightly, keeping her gun trained on the two of them.  
‘Help with what?’  
‘One of our guys went missing. We were in the town close by to here recently and he didn’t come back with us. When we went back he wasn’t there -’  
‘Shut up,’ Eric snapped and the younger one went silent. He flushed more and Tala raised her eyebrows.  
‘A missing person, huh?’  
‘He’s young, he’s got dark hair, he’s from around here, I think,’ The young one continued.  
‘As specific as that is, I’m afraid I can’t help you there. I’ve only been in the area a day. I’m going straight through,’ She said. She hoped that the rucksack on her back looked full enough.  
‘Shame,’ Eric said and he stepped towards Tala, lowering his hands slightly. ‘You don’t want to spend any more time here?’   
‘Keep your hands up,’ Tala’s finger sat itself behind the trigger as she gestured to him with her Glock. Eric stopped walking and put his hands back to the original position.  
‘We ain’t gonna hurt you, darling,’ He said quietly and Tala smiled.  
‘Who said anything about hurting anybody?’ She asked. Eric smiled graciously.  
‘That’s the spirit,’ He said before lurching towards her. Tala brought an elbow to his face, crunching it into his nose. She followed by bringing a knee up to his stomach as he cried out in pain. ‘Jed!’   
The younger one, Jed, came forward with a punch that sent Tala reeling. She kept a tight grip on her pistol as she jammed it into underside of Jed’s chin. He stumbled backwards and Eric grabbed Tala’s waist. She tried to throw him over her shoulder but he was too heavy. He kept his grip, ripping Tala’s rucksack away from her back and holding a knife up to her throat as he knocked the pistol out of her hand.   
‘You’re fast,’ He panted and Tala kept struggling against him. She searched for a way out but couldn’t find one, feeling the cold blade against her skin. She swallowed and the knife moved with her throat. She stopped struggling and smiled thinly.  
‘What is it that you want from me, then?’ She said quietly and Eric laughed.   
‘You’re smart, too,’ He said and he gestured to Jed to take Tala’s guns. ‘I want you to tell me where you’re staying around here. That bag is too light for it to be all your supplies.’  
‘I’ve barely got anything left,’ Tala said through gritted teeth as Eric pressed the knife against her neck. He tutted, adjusting his grip slightly.   
‘I think you’re lying, and I don’t like liars little lady,’ He said. He leant down next to Tala’s ear and she tried not to cringe away from his hot breath against her skin. ‘What are we going to have to do to teach you a lesson, hmm?’ He moved the knife and Tala tensed, readying herself for the pain, but instead he just ripped her shirt. Her eyes went wide and she tried to free herself again, panic rising through her throat like vomit.  
‘Eric!’ Jed called out, his eyes going wide at Tala’s exposed skin and Eric shot him a glare. Tala stared up at him, terror in her eyes and she mouthed ‘please’ towards him.  
‘Shut up,’ Eric said before looking back down at Tala. He gave her a cold, blood-curdling smile and pushed Tala onto the ground roughly. ‘And you, stop fucking moving.’  
Tala’s cheek went to the forest floor and she panted, feeling Eric’s weight begin to press against her. She could scream, try to get Daryl to hear her, but who knew how far away he was?   
‘You better let her go,’ A gruff voice came from behind.   
‘Oh? Another one,’ Eric said. Tala could hear the sickening smile in his voice as he straightened up and Jed spit blood onto the floor before launching towards Daryl. Eric seemed to get off of Tala slightly and she rolled away from him, kicking out a leg that hit his chest hard. He stumbled backwards into Jed and Tala sent another punch to his face as she launched back up, ignoring her torn shirt. Daryl kept at Jed and Tala yanked her knife out of its sheath and swiped at Eric. He growled at her and tried to jab at her. She brought the knife into his side and he bellowed in pain. He grabbed her hair, scrunching it in his fist and yanked. Tala gasped and twisted the knife in his shoulder. Eric gritted his teeth and drove his knife into Tala’s leg, not letting go of her hair. She cried out, gripping her knife handle as pain seared up her leg and through her back. Her eyes watered as she pulled the other knife out of the much stronger man. He batted her hand away forcefully, sending the knife to the ground and Tala pushed down the desperation, bringing back her training from years ago.   
_ You will survive, _ she thought. That’s what they had been taught from the very beginning. No matter what the situation is, you will survive. She clawed at Eric’s face, drawing blood, and he pushed the knife further into her leg. The wound grew and Tala weakened, struggling to stay standing as blood poured down her calf. Eric’s hand went to her throat and began pushing her back down to the ground, cutting off Tala’s air supply as he went. Tala tried pulling his hand away but he was far too strong.   
He pulled the knife from her leg, plunging it back into Tala’s exposed shoulder. She cried out again, her vision going slightly blurry as Eric tried to pull it down to her heart. Blood spread across her chest, the entire left side of her body was searing in pain. The man on top of her stared at her body with a twisted smile.  
‘Such a pretty thing,’ He said. ‘It’s a shame, really.’ Tala didn’t listen to what he was saying, she just focused on finding her knife, lying on the ground. Her hand grappled around until she found the hilt, and she swung it into Eric’s throat. His eyes went wide and his blood sprayed on Tala’s face. He let go of her neck, his hands going to his own and Tala managed to shove him off of her. Eric sagged, falling onto his side as he choked on his own blood. He keeled over and Tala pushed herself away from him as Daryl broke Jed’s neck.   
She fell backwards, her back hitting a tree behind her, sending waves of pain throughout her shoulder. She panted hard, her throat burning, her eyes stinging. Blood poured from her leg and she felt lightheaded. She pressed onto the shoulder wound with her right hand and Daryl came over to her quickly, ripping off a shirt sleeve. He knelt down and started tying the material around her leg and she moaned as he put the pressure down on her leg.  
‘Fuck,’ He said, standing back up after a long moment. ‘Were they from the kid’s group?  
‘Yeah,’ She groaned and Daryl shook his head. He barely had a scratch on him. Tala gestured to her weapons and her bag. ‘Pass them over?’  
Daryl snorted, picking up the rifle and bag and slinging them across himself. He handed her the pistol before supporting her, too. ‘Naw, you’re hurt real bad.’  
‘I’m okay,’ Tala said again weakly. She took a step before almost buckling. She cried out, and Daryl started supporting her again. She realised her shirt was still torn and she hastily tied it back together again. As they started slowly limping their way back to the farm, Tala heard a snap and she shushed Daryl. He stopped, crouching down and Tala touched his shoulder gently with a smile, having not moved. She pointed vaguely to two deer, a doe and its fawn.   
‘We can’t get them back,’ He whispered and Tala shook her head.   
‘Of course we can,’ She replied and Daryl looked up at her. She gave him a smile, raising an eyebrow. ‘What, are you too scared?’  
Daryl didn’t reply, aiming down his crossbow. He squeezed the trigger and the arrow landed in the doe’s neck. She fell gracefully and before she hit the ground, the fawn was falling too.  
Tala managed to limp her way over to the deer, the adrenaline from the fight keeping her going. She gripped the fawn’s front legs and tugged. She looked up at Daryl and shrugged before grimacing. ‘I’ve got this one. Can you manage?’  
‘You really think I can’t?’ He said roughly before smiling slightly. ‘You’re something else, you know that?’   
Tala chuckled lightly. ‘I’m going to take that as a compliment.’  
Daryl didn’t say anything else and he started walking, bringing the doe behind him. After what felt like years, and the pain in Tala’s left side not getting any better, they finally got back to the farm. Everyone came out with smiles on their faces, seeing the deer, but Shane’s was the first to drop.  
‘What the fuck happened?’ He said, staring between Daryl and Tala. Tala tried to give him a smile but all she could manage was a grimace. Shane walked forwards and Tala dropped the deer. Shane stared at her, aghast. ‘What happened?’ He repeated.  
Tala shrugged. ‘You should see the other guys,’ She managed to say as Hershel hurried over. He started escorting her to the house, but she tried to bat his hands away, turning, and suddenly everything went black.


	18. Civilisation

# Eighteen

##  **_C i v i l i s a t i o n_ **

_/ˌsɪvɪlʌɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/_

_Noun - The stage of human social and cultural development and organisation that is considered most advanced._

✦

Tala woke shivering, with an ache in her shoulder and leg. She groaned as light shone through the window. Lori leant forward and Tala looked around blearily.   
‘When did I get back?’ She asked and Lori looked concerned.  
‘You don’t remember?’ Lori said and Tala frowned.  
‘I remember a fight, I remember …’ She trailed off, her hands going to her face and throat. She remembered the warmth of the man’s blood on her, the pressure of his hands around her throat. She remembered her shirt getting ripped, his weight on top of her. She gasped slightly and dragged her fingernails against her cheek sharply.  
Lori took her hand gently. ‘Hey, you’re okay,’ She murmured and Tala’s hands shook. Her cheek stung and there was blood under her fingernails. Tala clutched at the blanket she was under before looking at it and frowning again.  
‘My blanket?’ She asked haltingly and Lori nodded.  
‘Shane brought it in,’ She said.   
‘Where is he?’ Tala asked and Lori looked out towards Hershel’s outbuildings.  
‘He’s talking to Randall, with Daryl,’ She said after a moment and Tala didn’t say anything.   
‘You mind leaving me alone for a minute? I need some time,’ Tala whispered and Lori hesitated. Tala looked up at her and she nodded.  
‘Of course. I’ll go get Shane,’ She said and Tala gave her a weak smile.  
‘Thanks,’ She said and Lori left. Tala sat up slowly, groaning from the effort. She took away the blanket and stared at her leg. Somebody had put her in a pair of her shorts, showing off the stitching. The wound ran down her thigh, and it looked like it had been a difficult job to stitch. It was very messy, and she could already see the deep purple bruising. She slowly got out of bed and made her way to the mirror above the mantelpiece. She pulled her top across and grimaced when she saw the size of the other cut. Eric had narrowly missed her heart and seemed to have dug the knife just under her collar bone. She stood there, staring at the bruising around her neck and the swelling on her cheek before taking her cleaned knife off of the bedside table. She stared at her hair, thinking of the force he had tugged at it, before hacking it off to just above shoulder length, holding back tears as the hair fell to the floor. Shane came in the room as she finished and they made eye contact through the mirror.  
Shane didn’t say anything. He walked across the room and took the knife from Tala’s shaking hand. She took in a breath as Shane gently stroked the back of her head and suddenly she was crying. Shane pulled back and wiped away her tears gently.  
‘Hey, hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now,’ He said and Tala bit her lip, tears pouring down her face and Shane took her back to the bed.  
‘His blood went all over me,’ She choked out and Shane looked down at her sympathetically. ‘I can still feel it. It’s under my fingernails, look.’ She shoved her hands up to his face and Shane took them gently.  
‘It’s okay,’ He murmured. He gestured to the space where Tala had been lying. ‘Get back into bed, you need rest.’   
‘Don’t leave,’ She almost cried out and Shane shook his head, his hand going to her cheek.  
‘I’m not leaving,’ He said softly. He stood up slowly, making room for her to lie back down and tears poured down Tala’s face as she did so. Her body protested but she managed to get in a somewhat comfortable position. Shane sat beside her on the bed, stroking her hand and her hair. ‘You’re okay,’ He said in the same tone as before and Tala shook her head.  
‘I should have listened to you,’ She choked out.  
‘Shush, stop,’ Shane said. His eyes flickered to the pile of clothes on a chair and then back to Tala. ‘They didn’t …’  
He stopped, looking back at the clothes with a grimace and the realisation clicked in Tala’s head. ‘No,’ She said quickly. ‘Almost but … no.’  
They sat there for a moment and Tala stretched her neck slightly, looking out of the window. ‘What were you talking to the kid about?’ She said and Shane’s face went stoney.   
‘The two men. Daryl told me everything he saw but …’ He trailed off before taking Tala’s hand. ‘The group that guy came from was nasty, Tala. They’re real bad.’  
‘What have they done?’ She whispered.  
‘You don’t want to know,’ Shane said, and he leant his forehead against her gently, holding her face in his hands. Tala looked into his eyes with tears in her own and Shane sighed. ‘We can’t keep him here, not now that we know that this group are so close, that they can do such terrible things. Not after you paid this price,’ He said gently, becoming quieter after his voice had started to raise. Tala nodded gently, her hand gripping his firmly as it sat against her cheek.  
‘I’m sorry,’ She murmured and Shane shook his head again.  
‘No. No, don’t be sorry,’ He kissed her gently and rubbed his thumb against her cheek. ‘You don’t have to be sorry.’  
‘I killed him,’ Tala whispered, her voice barely there.   
‘I know,’ Shane said.

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Tala found it difficult to eat over the next few days. She found it difficult to do practically everything. Sleep, stay awake, talk, move further than the bathroom. Everyone came in to see her, to tell her that they hoped she was okay, that they were glad she made it back. Shane barely moved from her side, holding her hand. But now the day had come, Randall was somewhat better and he was getting taken far away from the farm. Tala felt a twist of guilt whenever she thought of it, but then her arm would ache or she would catch sight of her leg. If the rest of his group managed to find them while he was still here, it wouldn’t end well.  
Tala brushed through her hair before sighing, eyeing the length of it in the mirror with a subtle frown. Shane came into the bedroom before grabbing his hat off of the bedside table. He came over to Tala and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, looking at her shoulder wound.  
‘I still think you should rest for another day,’ He said quietly and Tala rolled her eyes before giving him a kiss on the cheek.   
‘I can walk, and I’m sick of being cooped up. I won’t be going anywhere, I just want some fresh air,’ She replied and Shane shook his head with a smile.  
‘Rick and I will be back in a few hours,’ He said, leading her out to the front porch. Rick hauled Randall into the boot of the car with T-Dog’s help and Tala nodded before looking away, back at Shane.  
‘You better be safe,’ She kissed him and he smiled.  
‘I always am,’ He said airily, waving a hand and walking towards the car. Tala put her hand up watching them leave and Lori stood beside her.  
‘How are you feeling?’ She asked and Tala gave her a tight smile.  
‘Better, that’s for sure. Do you need any help with anything?’ Lori shook her head quickly.  
‘Of course not! Don’t you worry about needing to do anything. I’m about to make Beth some lunch, though. How about you keep me company?’ She said and Tala smiled again, slightly more genuinely.  
‘Sure,’ She said and they walked through the house. It was cooler inside, and a rather nice contrast to the humidity outside. Maggie was already in the kitchen and she gave Tala a smile as she sat down gingerly.  
‘It’s good to see you out of that bed,’ She said brightly and Tala smiled.  
‘I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for you,’ She said. ‘Thank you.’  
Maggie shook her head and she chopped some pepper. ‘Don’t thank me, really. You people have done a lot for us, even if it’s taken my father some time to realise.’ She paused for a moment before looking up at the other two women. ‘Did Rick say anything to you about Glenn when they got back from town?’ Maggie asked. Lori didn’t look up.  
‘He said it had gotten pretty bad.’  
‘He’s not the same,’ Maggie said and Tala raised her eyebrows towards her. Maggie sighed. ‘He says he froze. Blames me, says I got inside his head.’   
‘He came back,’ Lori still didn’t look up. ‘That’s what matters.’  
‘He’s been by himself throughout this,’ Tala said. ‘He’s not used to staying alive for someone that’s not just him. Just give him some time.’  
Maggie frowned. ‘I don’t see why that would make such a big difference.’  
Tala shrugged. ‘Having someone to come back to when you’re out there changes everything. Let’s say you went out on a pharmacy run with me, and things went wrong. Would you sacrifice yourself to save me, or would you try your hardest to make sure you got back to your family, the people you love?’ Maggie hesitated and Tala gave her a small smile. ‘See what I mean?’  
‘Let me just take this to Beth,’ She said and Lori shook her head.  
‘Don’t worry, I got it,’ She said and she walked away with the tray. Maggie sighed before leaving and Tala looked out the window. The dull headache that constantly pestered her made a comeback and she held her head in her hands. Tala felt heavy, like there was an anchor in her chest. She exhaled slowly and didn’t feel like moving for the next ten years.  
Lori came back in the kitchen and paused. ‘You alright?’  
‘I’m grand,’ Tala said and she sat up straight again. She helped Lori tidy away the extra ingredients and cleaned the cutlery, much to Lori’s protests. Tala sighed and turned to Lori. ‘You really think we should be sending an innocent boy to his death?’  
‘We’re not sending him to his death,’ Lori said and Tala raised her eyebrows slightly.  
‘You know that’s exactly what we’re doing,’ She said, shaking her head sadly. Lori didn’t say anything and dried a dish.  
‘Well, it’s too late now. What’s done is done,’ Lori finally said and Tala didn’t reply. Lori went back to Beth’s room and brought back her plate. It was untouched. Tala looked at the chicken before frowning as Lori brought over the cutlery. Tala started walking towards Beth’s room and Lori called out after her.  
‘What are you doing?’ She asked and Tala nodded her head to the bedroom.  
She knocked on the open door as Lori came behind her. Her eyes scanned the bedside table. ‘Hey, Beth? Where’s the knife, sweetie?’  
Lori took in a sharp breath from behind Tala. ‘You don’t want to do this,’ She said, the panic in her voice unmissable.  
Beth didn’t turn respond for a minute before holding out the knife. Lori took it from her gently and hurried out. Tala watched her run out of the house and leant against the door frame.  
‘I know it’s hard losing people you love, and I know what everyone is going to tell you,’ She said quietly. Beth tilted her head a fraction and Tala sighed, pausing for a moment. ‘Everyone’s going to tell you that you shouldn’t be so selfish. That you need to stay alive for them. People have told me that too, before all of this. The reality, though, is that you have to find a reason for yourself. If the only reason you stay is to not upset them, or hurt them, and not because you want to stay for them, then you’re going to end up full of resentment and hating all of this more than you already do.’  
Beth turned to look at her and, although despondent, Tala could see something else in her eyes. ‘Why, then?’  
Tala gave her a small smile. ‘You’ve got to think about that one for yourself if staying for your family isn’t enough,’ She lay her hand on Beth’s arm and smiled again. ‘But the way I see it, this is another chance for us. A new start. We can rebuild the world, we just have to start trying.’  
‘That’s why you’re still here?’ Beth asked and Tala nodded.  
‘It’s not much, but it’s what I’ve got,’ She said quietly. She squeezed Beth’s arm and stood up ‘I know it’s hard, honey, I really do. I’ve been in your position far too many times. But if you keep trying you’ll be glad that you did, take it from me,’ She turned to the sound of footsteps and Maggie appeared at the doorway. Tala left, walking into the kitchen again. She sighed and Lori looked worried.  
‘She kept the knife,’ She whispered and Tala looked at her, eyebrows raised.  
‘You’re really surprised?’  
Lori nodded, wordless and Tala sighed. She went to the sink, pouring herself a glass of water. She sipped on it, turning back to Lori, leaning against the counter.  
‘I felt like that at her age, too. Sure, it was ten years ago and before all of this happened but I’m sure the feeling isn’t much different,’ Tala took another sip of water. ‘You really blame her for not wanting to carry on in this world?’   
‘I don’t blame her, I’m just worried for her,’ Lori said and Tala sighed.   
‘Yeah, sure,’ She said quietly, her eyes tracing the steak knife on the counter. Andrea came in just as Maggie started shouting. The three of them stood in silence for a moment, Tala drinking her water every now and then until Andrea shifted on her feet.   
‘Where’s Hershel?’ She asked, looking between Tala and Lori.  
‘Maggie didn’t want him finding out just yet,’ Lori said quietly, chewing on a piece of cucumber. ‘It’s a family affair, we’ll let them work it out.’  
‘That’s working it out?’ Andrea asked and Tala snorted.  
‘That’s not how all families do it?’ She asked with a small smile and Andrea shrugged.  
‘When Beth stops fighting, that’s when it’s time to worry,’ Lori said, walking towards the island counter in the middle of the room and picking up Beth’s plate. Andrea looked at her as Maggie shouted something about being selfish. Tala moved to the side, sitting back down again and taking another sip of water as Lori started washing.  
‘This could have been handled better,’ Andrea said.  
‘How so?’ Lori asked. Something in her tone sounded off and Tala glanced at her. She looked like she was forcing politeness.  
‘You shouldn’t have taken the knife away,’ Andrea replied simply. Tala frowned, setting her glass down. Lori turned back to her.  
‘Really?’ Her voice was quiet.  
‘You were wrong, like Dale taking my gun,’ Andrea continued. ‘That wasn’t your decision.’ Lori looked shocked and Tala scratched her nose.   
‘She has to choose to live on her own, she has to find her own reasons,’ Andrea said and Tala sighed.  
‘I told her that,’ She said and Lori put the leftover food in the fridge. ‘But she can choose to live without needing to attempt first.’  
Tala took another sip of water and Andrea gave her a distasteful look. Lori closed the fridge.  
‘You want me to tie a noose for her?’ She muttered. Tala looked to Andrea, putting the glass back down and shaking her head.  
‘If she’s serious, she’ll figure out a way,’ Andrea said bluntly.  
‘It doesn’t mean I can’t stop her, or let her know that I care,’ Lori replied curtly.   
‘That has nothing to do with it, Lori,’ Andrea cut in. ‘There are only so many choices in front of her, and she believes the best one is suicide.’  
‘That’s not an option,’ Lori didn’t look at her.  
‘Of course it is,’ Andrea said.  
‘Lori,’ Tala said gently and she looked up, impatience flaring in her eyes. ‘Being an undesirable option doesn’t make it any less of an option. If I hadn’t …’ She trailed off, inhaling sharply. She shook her head and waved Andrea on. Andrea frowned slightly. She opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to reconsider.  
‘She doesn’t need to be yelled at, or treated like a child,’ She finally said and Tala nodded slowly.  
‘She needs a loaded gun, right? You understand if I don’t send you through there,’ Lori said and Tala scoffed. Andrea looked insulted.  
‘It’s up to you?’ Tala asked and Lori didn’t answer.  
‘I came through it,’ Andrea said indignantly.  
‘And you became such a productive member of the group,’ Lori said. ‘Let Maggie handle this one.’  
Tala rinsed out her glass and dried it, hiding the smirk that was beginning to play on her face. The argument that was about to follow was going to be the most fun Tala had had in ages.  
‘I contribute, I help keep this place safe,’ Andrea retorted. Tala turned back to the other two and kept the smile off of her face.  
Lori paused before looking up at Andrea. ‘The men can handle this on their own,’ She glanced at Tala, who was raising her eyebrows and she nodded to her before looking back to Andrea. ‘They don’t need your help.’  
‘I’m sorry but what would you have me do? And Tala?’ Andrea asked.   
‘Well, Tala is a different story. She’s a fully trained police officer and she does a mixture of all the jobs that need to be done,’ Lori said. ‘There is plenty of work to go around and she does her fair share.’ Tala folded her arms as she leant against the counter and gave Lori a small, vaguely uncomfortable smile. She wasn’t sure whether she cared for Lori’s praise.  
‘Are you serious?’ Andrea shot back. ‘Everything falls apart, you’re in my face about skipping laundry? I’ve been picking up the slack on Tala’s behalf the past few days and -’  
‘I’m so sorry I didn’t call in sick in advance,’ Tala practically spat, anger flaring up as Andrea tried to make excuses and Lori took a breath.  
‘It puts a burden on the rest of us. On me, and Carol, and Patricia. Tala and Maggie. Cooking and cleaning and caring for Beth. You,’ Lori looked slightly flustered. ‘You don’t care about anyone but yourself, sat up there on the RV working on your tan with a shotgun in your lap.’  
Tala snorted and Andrea looked between her and Lori, outraged. Tala looked away, clearing her throat and trying to stop herself from laughing out loud.   
‘You know, I am on watch against walkers, that is what matters,’ Andrea shouted. ‘Not fresh mint leaves and the lemonade.’  
‘We are providing stability,’ Lori said with an ugly look on her face. ‘We are trying to create a life worth living.’  
‘Are you kidding me?’ Andrea asked.  
‘Look, I went after Rick, I took down two walkers -’ Lori tried to say with a smile and Tala rolled her eyes.  
‘After crashing Maggie’s car,’ Andrea spoke over her. ‘Ever apologise for that?’  
Lori sighed. ‘Crashing her …’ She took a moment. ‘You’re insane.’  
‘No, you are, and you’re the one who’s self centred,’ Andrea said. ‘The way you take it all for granted.’  
‘My husband is out there, for the hundredth time,’ Lori pointed away from the three of them. Tala sighed and Andrea glanced to her, eyebrows raised. Lori walked forward to Andrea quickly. ‘My son was shot. Don’t you dare tell me that I take this for granted!’  
‘You don’t get it, do you?’ Andrea leant forward. ‘Your husband came back from the dead. Your son too, and now you’ve got a baby on the way. The rest of us have piled up our losses, me, Carol, Tala, Beth. But you just keep on keeping on!’  
‘We’ve all suffered,’ Lori muttered.  
‘Playing house, acting like the queen bee!’ Andrea continued. ‘Laying down rules for everybody but yourself. You know what? Go ahead. Go in there and tell that little girl that everything is going to be okay, just like it is for you. She’ll get a husband, a son, baby, boyfriend. She just has to look on the bright side.’  
Tala looked away as Lori gave Andrea a cold stare. Andrea walked out with a sigh and Lori blinked. She turned back to Tala and Tala raised her eyebrows, biting the inside of her cheek. Lori took a shaky breath before busying herself by tidying away the tea towels.   
Tala sat down on the chair in the hall, fiddling with her thumbs as she waited. She didn’t know what she was waiting for but she figured that she would just wait. The cat fight had been funny to watch, and Tala had probably enjoyed it more than she should have, but seeing both of their faces was priceless. Tala wished she could have had a camera to catch it. Andrea walked into the hall and looked at Tala. She sighed before walking over and Tala cursed in her mind. Was this karma?  
‘Do you agree with me?’ She asked quietly and Tala raised her eyebrows.  
‘About what?’  
‘What I said to Lori.’  
‘Which part?’ Tala looked up at her and Andrea sighed.  
‘About … Beth,’ She glanced behind her to the door and Tala sighed too.  
‘I mean,’ She hesitated. ‘I don’t want Beth to die, and I know it’s not my choice, but I don’t think we should just let her, you know? I think her family have the right to fight against that, just like how people did before.’   
Andrea nodded before turning and knocking on the bedroom door. Maggie opened it and eyed Andrea before glancing to Tala, biting her lip.  
‘Hey,’ She said quietly.  
‘You can’t sit on top of her,’ Andrea whispered and Tala rolled her eyes.  
‘I can’t leave her by herself,’ Maggie said and Andrea shrugged.  
‘You’re going to have to,’ She said and Maggie shook her head. Tala got off the chair slowly, frowning. ‘You’re exhausted. Go get some air, I’ll sit with her. Go ahead, wash up and have something to eat. I got it.’  
Maggie looked at her sister before nodding. ‘Okay, thanks,’ She said and she walked away. Andrea shut the door behind her, not meeting Tala’s eye and Tala looked down the hallway. She went back into the kitchen and called out Lori’s name. When she didn’t come, Tala cursed and looked throughout the rest of the house for Maggie. She finally found her in the upstairs bathroom and she knocked on the door hesitantly.  
‘Yeah?’ Maggie asked with her southern drawl.  
‘I’m really sorry, Maggie,’ Tala started. ‘But I don’t think you should have left Beth with Andrea.’ Maggie came out and they headed back down to Beth’s room. They walked in and Maggie stopped short when she saw the empty bed.  
‘Beth?’ She called out and a sob was heard in the en-suite. They rushed to the door and glass shattered. ‘Beth?!’ Maggie slammed her hand on the door, trying the handle but getting nothing.  
‘Maggie?’ Lori came through and Maggie looked up at her.   
‘She’s in there, I heard glass,’ She explained.  
‘Beth, honey, don’t do this,’ Tala said gently.  
‘Are you alright?’ Lori asked.  
‘Open up,’ Maggie said sharply and Tala looked around the room. She saw the fire poker and grabbed it before hurrying back to the door. ‘I left her with Andrea.’  
Lori looked aghast. ‘Where’s a key?’   
‘I don’t know,’ Maggie said and went back to the door, too. ‘Beth, honey, please open the door. I’m not mad, I’m not mad.’  
‘Careful,’ Tala said and Maggie and Lori stood back. She jammed it against the lock and pushed, splintering the hold, her shoulder protesting angrily. The door swung open and Beth swirled, blood pouring from her wrist as she cried.   
‘I’m sorry,’ She choked and Maggie rushed forward.  
‘Go get towels, and bandages,’ Tala said to Lori and she nodded before hurrying away.  
Maggie hugged Beth. ‘It’s okay, it’s okay.’  
Tala sat Beth down on the bed and Beth looked down at her arm.  
‘Is it bad? Am I gonna die?’ She asked and Tala cupped Beth’s face in her hands as Maggie went to help Lori find the right supplies.   
‘Look at me. You’re going to be fine, sweetie. We can fix this, alright? You’re going to be okay.’  
Beth nodded, clutching at her wrist. Tala motioned to it and she nodded again. Tala gently lifted her hand away and assessed how deep the cut was. Beth cried slightly harder when Tala took her arm in her hands.  
‘Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ She said gently. They waited for Maggie to come back and she passed Tala some cotton pads and some rubbing alcohol. ‘This is going to sting, but we’ve got to clean it.’  
Maggie held Beth’s other hand as Tala gently cleaned the surrounding area of the cut. Beth whimpered and whined but Tala kept going before looking at it again. She held a cotton pad against it gently and Hershel hurried in with Lori behind her.   
‘What happened?’ He asked, looking between the three women. Maggie explained what had happened and Hershel went pale. He looked at Tala as she swapped the cotton pad for a new one.  
‘She needs stitches,’ Tala said quietly and he nodded. He went to get his kit and came back quickly. Maggie and Lori went to find Andrea as Hershel started on Beth’s wrist and Tala held her other hand.  
‘See? It wasn’t as bad as you thought. You’re alright, sweet girl,’ Tala gave her a smile when Hershel was done and Beth nodded. Maggie’s voice was raised from outside and Tala glanced at Hershel.  
‘Thank you for your help,’ He said quietly and Tala shook her head.  
‘I’m sorry we left her with Andrea,’ She said and he didn’t reply. Tala walked out of the room as Maggie and Lori came back inside the house and she paused. ‘You two mind if I go clean up?’  
‘Of course not,’ Lori reached out and held her arm for a moment.  
‘If you need me, I’ll be in my tent,’ Tala said with a small smile.  
‘Tala,’ Maggie said as she started to leave and Tala looked back. ‘Thank you.’  
She gave another small smile and a short nod before walking out of the house. She looked at the sun’s position in the sky and bit her lip. Shane should have been back by now. She went to their tent, washing her hands off with her water canteen before sitting on the bench outside it and rubbing her face. Her eyes filled with tears and she exhaled impatiently. She looked out at the driveway before rubbing her face again and resting her head in her hands.   
Andrea walked past and Tala scowled at her, shaking her head. Andrea avoided her gaze and kept going. Tala sat there until the sun was painting the sky a burning orange and her anxiety was too much to bear. As she got up, she heard an engine and she made her way to the front of the house. Shane and Rick got out, both of their faces bloody. Tala walked forward, her heart lurching.  
‘What happened?’ She said, her hand on Shane’s cheek. He took it and gave her a minuscule, unconvincing smile.   
‘We got into a disagreement,’ He replied quietly and her eyes narrowed. She sighed before her eyes focused on the back of the car.  
‘You brought him back?’ Tala opened the boot and Rick stared at Randall with a sour look on his face. Randall whimpered, music blaring from the headphones stuck in his ears. Rick closed the boot again before getting back into the car and driving towards Hershel’s sheds. Tala looked up at Shane but he just shook his head and walked away. Tala stared after him, confused and concerned, and managed to bite her lip so hard that she tasted blood. She walked after him hurriedly and Shane wiped his face. He stopped just outside of their tent and turned back to her. He pulled her into him gently and Tala blinked, surprised. Her hands went around the back of his neck and Shane buried his head in her good shoulder.   
‘I didn’t think I was going to make it back to you,’ He said after a moment. Tala’s breath got caught in her throat and she stroked the back of his head gently, feeling the soft bristles of hair under her fingertips.  
‘What happened?’ She asked again and Shane sighed. Tala pulled back slightly, cupping his face in her right hand. She looked at his swollen lips and the huge gash on his forehead.   
‘I was going to -’ He stopped short, his hand hovering over his holster and Tala glanced down. She frowned before looking back up at Shane.  
‘Let me get the first aid kit from your bag. You can tell me while I clean you up,’ She said quietly and he nodded. He kissed her quickly and Tala tasted his blood as she went for the first aid kit. She ran her tongue over her lips before dragging her sleeve across her mouth when she was about to walk out again.  
She sat next to Shane at the table outside and she started cleaning his forehead gently. He sat patiently and Tala wiped away the trail of blood on his cheek.  
‘What were you going to do?’ She murmured and Shane sighed again, deliberating for a moment.  
‘I was going to shoot him. He was making so much noise that I - I could see he was going to be dead in minutes out there by himself,’ He said and Tala didn’t let the concentrated expression slip from her face, nodding to Shane as she placed steri-strips down gently. ‘Rick wasn’t happy with it and tackled me. He starts throwing punches and I defended myself. It got heated and then, then the walkers came and it turned into an even bigger shit show.’   
Tala glanced down as Shane wrung his hands and she frowned again. She gently lifted his hand before raising her eyebrows. ‘Keep going,’ She said as she took more water to a cotton pad.   
‘I was trapped in an old school bus, geeks slamming at the door. I used the blood from my hand to keep them busy while I put them down with my knife before it got stuck in one’s head. I was losing my grip, more walkers coming by the minute. I wasn’t going to last long. And, and that’s when I see Rick. He’s got the kid by the shoulders and he’s shoving him towards the car. He looks at the bus, at the walkers, at me. And he gets in the car and he fucking left,’ Shane hissed in pain and flinched slightly. ‘You’re pressing down too hard.’  
‘Shit, sorry,’ Tala said and she pulled her hand away before preparing bandages. Her hands shook slightly and she put the bandages down again. ‘He did that?’  
‘I thought he was gone for good. I thought I was gone for good,’ Shane murmured and Tala hugged him again. Shane put his good hand to her hair and Tala leaned into his shoulder. ‘He came back though. I got out.’  
‘He should never have left,’ Tala barely managed to say. Her voice shook with as much anger as her body did. She took a deep breath and she felt Shane kiss her forehead lightly.  
‘I can’t get my head around it,’ Shane whispered and Tala pulled back gently. She looked up at him and saw that he was on the verge of tears. ‘I’ve been trying so hard to be better. He said, on the way home, that I need to come back. Come back to him, to you, to everyone. I’m trying so fucking hard, Tala.’   
Tala put a hand to his cheek and rubbed her thumb against it gently. Shane shook his head and wiped his eyes again. ‘You’re doing great,’ She whispered and he gave her a half-hearted smile.  
‘I love you,’ He said. Tala kissed him gently.  
‘I love you too,’ She replied before picking up the bandages again. ‘Once I’ve finished, I think I have a much-needed talk with Rick to attend to.’  
Shane raised his eyebrows and sighed. ‘Maybe we shouldn't for now. He’ll be with the kid, thinking of what to do. What if it just makes things worse and he does something else?’  
‘Shane, he almost left you to die,’ Tala cut in sharply, gently wrapping the material around his hand. ‘He’s going to be put in his place, and if he’s lucky he won’t have any extra injuries added on.’  
‘And if he’s unlucky?’ Shane asked and Tala gave him a brief, cold smile.  
‘The only indication that he isn’t a walker will be his pleads for help.’

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Tala waited outside of the shed, playing with her lighter. She finally pulled out a cigarette and lit it, tapping her fingers on her arm, staring in the direction of the tents. What was the likelihood that Lori had some part in this? Tala exhaled, watching the cloud of smoke disperse into the air and she scowled as the sun got in her eyes while it lowered towards the horizon. Of course she was going to have had a part in this.   
The door creaked open and Rick came out. Tala lurched forward from the wall and he barely turned to look at her.   
‘You were going to just leave him there?’ She said in a dangerously low voice and he stopped walking. Rick didn’t look at her.  
‘It’s not what you think,’ He tried to start and Tala scoffed.  
‘Don’t start that shit,’ She said vehemently and he almost flinched. ‘He is your best friend. Your best friend.’  
Rick made a noise and Tala stood in front of him. He didn’t meet her eye. ‘Is he?’ He said after a moment and Tala shook her head.  
‘I get that this whole apocalypse thing is hard, and that you’re going through shit, but so is everyone else. Look at me,’ She said forcefully and he stayed where he was. ‘Look at me.’ He dragged his eyes to hers and she glared at him.   
‘You have everyone you care about right here. Your son, your wife, your baby,’ Tala continued. ‘But I get it. This life is hard. You’re working through some shit, right? And I get it. Shane and Lori, that’s tough. It’s tough to think about. But that’s over now.’  
‘So what are you saying?’ Rick shot back, his expression stoney and Tala gave a curt smile.  
‘I’m saying get over it,’ She said and Rick scowled, scoffing and looking away again. ‘Things between you and Shane have been off lately, but in case you didn’t realise, we have much bigger problems to be thinking about right now than suburban reality show drama.’  
‘Lori says he’s dangerous!’ Rick said and Tala scowled. There she was. ‘She says Shane thinks the baby is his, that Lori is _his -_ you don’t think that’s a -‘  
‘Have you asked him?’ Tala interrupted, putting out the cigarette and glaring at Rick. ‘Have you actually talked to him about this shit? Or have you been too angry to let him get the chance to speak for himself?’  
‘So you’re going to do it for him?’ Rick said with a sneer and Tala raised her eyebrow. Rick scoffed again and looked at the tents.   
‘He’s been trying really hard to not let this world take over. I don’t see much of the same coming from you,’ Tala said after a moment.  
Rick head snapped back to her. ‘Oh, you think I’m not trying my best here?’ He asked indignantly and Tala smiled again.  
‘If you are, it’s certainly not good enough,’ She said and Rick didn’t say anything. ‘Considering Lori hasn’t allowed Shane to talk to her in any meaningful way since you came back, I don’t think she is the greatest person to judge his character. Talk to him yourself instead of letting her poison you. I think you’d be surprised at what he has to say.’  
‘What am I supposed to say?’ Rick asked after a long pause.  
‘An apology, for starters,’ Tala said and Rick frowned. ‘He’s upset. I think he has the right to be, considering you were going to leave him there.’  
Rick didn’t say anything and Tala shook her head, beginning to walk away.  
‘I didn’t, though,’ He said and Tala glanced back.   
‘That’s not really the point,’ She smiled one last time and lit another cigarette. ‘If you ever do something like this again I will personally make sure that you wish you were dead,’ She said lowly and she walked away. She shoved a hand in a pocket and realised that she was on the verge of tears. She sniffed angrily before sighing and rubbing her face. She scowled and looked up to see Dale stood in front of her.  
‘Everything okay?’ He asked gently and Tala took a drag before giving him a thin smile.  
‘I’m dealing with children,’ She said and Dale chuckled.  
‘Us men never grow up,’ He replied and Tala laughed slightly before shaking her head. Dale looked past her slightly and she raised her eyebrows, looking back too. ‘Does he know?’ Dale asked and Tala frowned.  
‘Does who know what?’ She said and Dale nodded in the direction of the shed.   
‘Does Rick know about Shane and Lori?’ He said and Tala sighed.  
‘Yeah, he knows. I don’t think he’s quite processed it, you know?’  
‘Well, that’s understandable,’ Dale said and Tala chewed on her lip. ‘What’s wrong?’ He asked, his eyes softening slightly.   
Tala hesitated, looking around in the dusk to see if anyone else was around. ‘Well, it’s not the first time she had, well, done that sort of thing,’ She said and Dale frowned. ‘Although, she did think Rick was dead this time so I suppose it is a little different.’  
‘Lori’s been unfaithful, you mean?’ Dale asked and Tala nodded, scratching her nose. ‘Before?’   
‘Yeah. My husband was a weak man with poor taste, I just didn’t realise it when I married him,’ She replied with another thin smile. Dale’s eyes widened.  
‘I - Tala, that’s - I’m sorry,’ He stammered and Tala raised her hand, her smile warming slightly.  
‘It’s alright, I’ve pretty much come to terms with it,’ she smiled wider. ‘I’ll see you around, Dale.’   
With that, Tala walked back to her tent and sat beside Shane on the camp bed. She lay her head on his shoulder and held his hand. He kissed the top of her head and she smiled.  
‘I told Rick to talk to you,’ She murmured after a while. ‘And I told him not to pull a stunt like that again or else.’  
Shane rubbed his thumb against Tala’s hand. ‘Threatening. Talk about what?’   
‘I don’t know, just to talk things through. I said he needs to get over everything that happened between you and Lori. I don’t think he liked that,’ Tala said and Shane snorted.  
‘He doesn’t like anything unless it comes out of his own mouth.’  
Tala laughed softly. ‘That is unfortunately true.’  
‘I think he hates me,’ He murmured and Tala kissed his shoulder.  
‘No, he’s your best friend,’ She said and Shane snorted.  
‘Is he?’

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

The next morning, breakfast had a slightly nervous atmosphere. The cicadas hummed loudly and Tala sat uncomfortably on one of the camp chairs as Shane stood next to her. Everyone sat expectantly, waiting for someone to say something. Eventually Lori spoke up, pouring herself and Carl some water.  
‘So what are you going to do?’ She asked. ‘I think we would all feel better if we knew the plan.’  
‘Is there a plan?’ Asked Andrea, walking over. Tala rubbed her face and looked at Rick expectantly.  
‘Are we going to keep him here?’ Glenn said. Shane looked over at Rick, too. They made eye contact and Rick looked away, sighing.  
‘We’ll know soon enough,’ He said shortly. Everyone looked around as Daryl came over. His knuckles were bloody and Tala didn’t think about what he had been doing.  
‘The boys got a bigger gang than we thought,’ He called out. ‘Thirty men. They’ve got heavy artillery and they ain’t looking to make friends. If they roll through here, our boys our dead and our women, they’re going to wish they were.’  
Tala put her hand across her chest, looking away and biting her lip. She didn't doubt what he was saying for a second. Shane gently stroked her hair, slightly more tense than before.  
‘What did you do?’ Carol asked gently and Daryl looked at his knuckled fleetingly.  
‘We had a little chat,’ He said and Tala looked at him again as he moved away.  
‘No one goes near this guy,’ Rick said forcefully and Lori went towards him.  
‘Rick, what are you going to do?’ She asked quietly. Rick looked at Tala, and then Shane, as he sighed.  
‘We have no choice, he’s a threat,’ He said. ‘We have to eliminate the threat.’  
Lori looked shocked and Dale seemed disgusted. ‘You’re just going to kill him?’ He asked.   
‘It’s settled,’ Rick said, looking away. ‘We’ll do it today.’ He walked away and Dale went after him. Shane didn’t move from Tala’s side until she went to get up. He hurried in front of her, helping her stand gently.  
‘I can do it myself, you know,’ She said with a small smile. ‘You don’t have to help me every time.’  
‘You’re still hurt,’ He murmured. The bruising on his face was bad and she shook her head but didn’t protest any further. He went towards the shed where Randall was being held and Dale came over to Tala.  
‘Do you agree with this?’ He asked, gesturing to the farm house. Tala hesitated, sighing slightly.  
‘I don’t know, Dale,’ She said after a moment. ‘It’s difficult.’  
‘You were a cop, you worked to ensure that justice was upheld,’ Dale said. ‘We need to make sure, now, that morality is upheld. Doing this, is, is wrong!’  
‘Has anyone told you what happened out there?’ Tala asked after another moment. Dale shook his head and she sighed again. ‘It was people from his group. They were out looking for him. We had a chat and then one of them started the attack on me. Things got very, very nasty and I’m,’ Tala’s breath got caught in her throat. ‘I’m surprised I made it out. He was going to kill me, Dale. He had never met me, I hadn’t done anything other than tell him I didn’t know where the kid was. He had me down on my knees with a knife to my throat and all I could do was sit there.’  
Dale was holding his breath. He exhaled. ‘Tala, we can’t kill a boy because of the other members in his group. If people only met a handful of us -’  
‘Don’t use Shane as an example, Dale. I know you two don’t see eye to eye but he’s trying to, as you say, make sure justice is upheld,’ Tala cut in. She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry. I’m going to go talk to the kid, see if it helps me make up my mind.’   
Dale nodded. ‘Alright, I’m sorry. I’m glad you’re okay, Tala,’ He said and Tala hugged him.  
‘I get what you’re trying to do. You’re really the best of us, Dale,’ She murmured. He smiled as she pulled away.  
‘You can be too,’ He said and Tala started towards the shed. She hung back slightly and Andrea caught her eye with a scowl. Shane turned and gave her a small smile.  
‘You really want to do this?’ He asked. The night before, they had talked about Tala going in to talk to Randall about what had happened. Shane had had his reservations, but he decided that it wasn’t the worst idea. He opened the shed door before waiting outside and Randall looked up from his position on the floor. He was chained to the wall and his face was bruised and battered.  
‘Hey, Tara,’ He said, scrambling up.  
‘It’s, uh, Tala,’ She replied and he blushed slightly.  
‘Yeah, Tala,’ He said hurriedly. ‘You’re not here to beat me up, too, are you?’  
Tala frowned and shook her head slowly. Randall nodded before he looked at the bruising on her neck, and the bandage showing through her t-shirt.  
‘What happened?’ He asked and she smiled bitterly.  
‘I ran into a couple of your pals,’ Tala pulled her t-shirt down further to show him the shoulder wound. His eyes went wide and he seemed to sag slightly.  
‘They did that? What else?’ He asked and Tala tilted her head.  
‘What makes you think they did more?’ She asked quietly.  
‘Usually, usually, when there’s, uh, women,’ He stuttered and Tala raised her eyebrow.  
‘Ah,’ She said and Randall went quiet. He stared at her before glancing at the knife sheath.   
‘Who were they? Did you know? Are they still alive?’ He said.  
‘Eric and Jed, I think? They’re definitely not alive,’ She replied and Randall looked shocked.  
‘Were they looking for me?’ He asked.  
‘Yeah, which is why everyone wants to kill you,’ Tala started pacing slightly, the limp barely noticeable, and Randall’s eyes followed her every move.  
‘Please, don’t let them kill me,’ He said and Tala moved forwards to him quicker than was probably smart. Her hand went around his throat as she pushed him against the wall. The chains clattered together and a shadow moved outside.  
‘Is everything okay in there?’ Shane asked and Tala tilted her head.  
‘Yeah,’ She called back and Randall gulped as she turned back to him. ‘Give me one good reason why I should.’  
‘I, I didn’t do anything, I didn’t do anything that those guys did! I was just hanging around them! They took me in, I had nowhere else to go! Please, you were helping me before, what’s changed?’ He said desperately, his voice cracking. Tala laughed harshly.  
‘What’s changed? Your friends almost killed me because of you,’ She said lowly. Randall stared up at her and she let go of his throat, walking to the opposite side of the small building. She sighed, looking up at the light shining through the rafters and her finger traced the stitches on her shoulder.   
‘Please, I can take you and, and your husband to the group,’ Randall said and Tala snorted. ‘We have lots of supplies there, lots of guns. You could be real safe there,’ He continued and Tala shook her head.  
‘That’s a really shit bribe, and he’s not my husband,’ She spat and Randall shrunk back slightly. She sighed and went to the door. ‘I’m not taking you up on the offer, but I’ll see about what to do with you.’  
‘You won’t regret this,’ Randall said.  
‘I probably will,’ Tala replied and she stepped into the sunshine. She shielded her eyes for a minute before walking over to Shane.  
‘What are you thinking?’ He asked.  
Tala didn’t reply for a minute. ‘It might just be easier to kill him. There’d be no evidence if anybody did come looking. But, but that’s not civilised. The easiest way doesn’t always mean the right way, right?’  
‘Yeah, I don’t know. That’s my problem too,’ Shane said. ‘I think we gotta go for killing him, though, I really do.’  
‘You know what, Shane?’ Tala said and he looked at her. She took his hand and looked away. ‘I think I’m going to listen to you.’  
Randall’s voice raised and Tala looked back at the shed. Shane stormed over, yanking the door back open. Tala stared at Carl as his eyes widened and Shane jumped into the shed. Tala gestured to Carl to come to her and he hurried by her side.  
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Shane said, looking towards Randall. ‘Man, what did you just say? Man what did you say, huh?’ He pushed Randall to the wall, pulling his gun out. Tala stepped up next to him, making sure Carl stayed out.  
‘Shane,’ She said, putting a hand to his arm.  
‘I will shoot you where you stand, do you hear me?’ He said and Tala shook on his arm. ‘I will shoot you where you stand. Open your mouth, open your mouth! You like talking, man? Do you like talking?’  
Tala pulled his arm away and Shane looked at her, panting. She shook her head with a small frown and he turned away. He looked at Carl and walked out of the shed towards him. Tala glared at Randall before walking out of the shed and locking back up. Andrea came back over and Tala nodded to her.  
‘Stay here, would you?’ She asked and Andrea raised her eyebrows.   
‘There trouble?’ She asked and Tala looked off at Shane.  
‘Randall might be thinking about getting out of here. Need to stay alert,’ She said and walked after Shane and Carl.  
‘Don’t tell my parents!’ Carl said as Tala stood by Shane.   
‘Carl, that ain’t cool, man, you could have gotten hurt,’ Shane said. Carl looked between Tala and Shane before turning defiant.  
‘I could handle it myself,’ He said forcefully and Tala raised her eyebrows. Shane went towards him and Tala ran a hand through her hair.  
‘Let me tell you something,’ Shane said quietly but forcefully. ‘You do not go near him again, you hear me? Damn it.’  
Carl stared at him as Shane went to move. ‘You won’t tell my parents, will you?’  
‘Carl, man, this ain’t about getting in trouble, okay?’ Shane said quietly. ‘That guy, he will say anything to you. He will make you feel sorry for him, he will make you let your guard down. If you let your guard down here, people die.’  
Shane paused, and the two looked at Tala. She sighed and nodded to the farmhouse. ‘Go and stay with your mum,’ She said gently. Carl nodded and started walking away as Shane shook his head.  
‘Carl,’ Shane said and the young boy looked back at them. Quit trying to get yourself killed, man.’  
Carl didn’t reply and went back into the house. Shane shook his head and the two went back to their tent.  
‘Nice parenting,’ Tala said as they walked and Shane snorted.  
‘You don’t think I was too harsh?’ He asked and Tala shrugged, pulling out a cigarette and offering Shane the packet. He took one and she had a draw, deliberating.  
‘No, probably not. And even if you were, at least he’ll have learned now,’ She said before giving a small smile. ‘Hopefully.’  
Shane shook his head again as they sat down on the bench next to it. ‘Man, kids are something.’  
‘You’re telling me,’ Tala said with a smile. ‘You make sure they don’t get electrocuted by not letting them play with plug sockets but then you’re the bad guy and they cry about it. You’ll never win when it comes to keeping kids safe.’  
Shane took a draw and gave a smile too. ‘I remember Ashley throwing a tantrum because you wouldn’t let her eat a crayon.’  
‘I was a buzzkill, what can I say,’ Tala replied. Shane laughed and they watched as Rick walked over to the barn. Tala looked around the farm and her smile turned slightly sad. ‘Man, this place makes me homesick.’  
‘Being on a farm?’ Shane asked and she nodded. ‘I’m still mad I never got to see where you grew up. You came to my mom’s place for Thanksgiving plenty of times.’  
‘Well, I’ll try paint the picture for you,’ Tala said and Shane raised his eyebrows. ‘Imagine a really big hill, and a country house that’s kind of decrepit. There are sheep quite literally everywhere and at least three dogs. There were some stables, several sort of, uh, warehouses. A couple of tractors, lots of mud. Inside there was also quite a bit of mud, and it was always cold. The fire was almost never out and my room was probably the angstiest place on the planet.’ She laughed and Shane smiled.   
‘Sounds amazing,’ He said and Tala shook her head.  
‘It wasn’t much,’ She replied and Shane took her hand.  
‘It doesn’t need to be,’ He said and Tala smiled again. She kissed him, her hand going to his swollen cheek. Shane went to pull her onto his lap but he brushed one of the stitches on her leg wrong and Tala yelped, pulling back slightly. ‘Fuck, I’m sorry,’ He said hurriedly, his eyes wide.  
‘It’s okay, it’s okay,’ Tala said, looking back up at him before laughing. ‘What a mood killer,’ She said and Shane raised his eyebrows.   
‘Does it have to be?’ He asked and Tala bit her lip with a smile. She laughed again before they went into the tent, Shane taking off his shirt as they went.

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

They joined the group in the living room of the farmhouse and Shane helped Tala into a seat. She pushed him away gently, sitting herself down, but she held his hand as Lori and Rick came into the room.   
Nobody said anything for a minute and Carl hung around behind Rick. Tala gave him a small smile from across the room, and Lori shooed him away gently. He looked at Tala for a moment before storming off into the house.   
‘So, how do we do this?’ Glenn asked and Shane started rubbing his thumb against Tala’s hand as she watched Rick. ‘We take a vote?’  
‘Does it have to be unanimous?’ Asked Andrea.  
‘Majority vote rules,’ Lori said and Rick raised his hand.  
‘Let’s, let’s just see how everyone stands,’ He said. ‘Let’s just talk through the options.’  
There was a slight pause and Shane adjusted his posture slightly. ‘The way I see it, there’s only one option,’ He said quietly.   
‘Killing him, right?’ Dale said and Tala looked at the floor. ‘I mean, why even bother to take a vote, it’s clear which option is going to win.’   
‘If people believe we should spare him,’ Rick said. ‘I want to know.’  
‘Well, let me tell you, it’s a small group,’ Dale said, looking towards Tala. She looked up at him before shaking her head and leaning back in her seat. ‘Just me, Glenn and Tala.’  
Glenn glanced at him guiltily and Tala started biting her nails. Dale noticed how Glenn was looking at him and his face fell.  
‘Look, I, I think you’re pretty much right about everything, all the time, but this -’ Glenn tried to explain.   
‘They’ve got you scared!’ Dale said, gesturing to the rest of the group.   
‘He’s not one of us!’ Glenn said. ‘And we, we’ve lost too many people already.’  
Dale looked away, towards Maggie and Hershel and he gestured to them. ‘What about you, do you agree with this?’ He asked.  
Maggie didn’t say anything for a moment. ‘Couldn’t we continue keeping him a prisoner?’ She asked Rick.  
‘Just another mouth to feed,’ Daryl said and Tala tore off a bit of her nail so badly that her thumb started bleeding. She held it in her fist and didn’t look at Dale.   
‘It may be a lean winter,’ Hershel said.  
‘We can ration better,’ Lori said.  
‘Well, he could be an asset!’ Dale suggested. ‘Give him a chance to prove himself.’  
‘Let him work?’ Glenn asked.  
‘We’re not going to let him walk around,’ Rick said.  
‘We could put an escort on him,’ Maggie said.  
‘Oh, yeah, and who’s going to volunteer for that?’ Shane said.  
‘I will! And, and,’ Dale looked towards Tala. She sighed and Shane put his hand on her shoulder gently.  
‘No, not Tala. I know you two have a similar view but that’s asking way too much of her right now,’ He said defensively. Tala put her hand on his and didn’t meet Dale’s eye.  
‘Tala,’ He started but she shook her head.  
‘This other group is not one we want to get in the way of,’ She said quietly. ‘They’re ruthless. I understand that we shouldn’t judge a group by a couple of people but, but hell, Dale! The people that were in the town? The people that were in the woods? They left their own man to die and they’re willing to kill complete strangers, unprovoked. I think we need to go with the option that reduces the risk of conflict with these guys the most.’  
Dale faltered slightly. ‘Even if that is killing an innocent kid?’  
‘Honestly, I don’t know if he is as innocent as he claims to be,’ Tala muttered.  
‘He had a story about two teenage girls and their dad,’ Daryl said. ‘He said he didn’t touch them but there was something about the way he said it, left me feeling weird.’   
Tala looked up at him and he nodded to her slightly. She sighed and went back to biting her thumb.  
‘I won’t feel safe unless he’s tied up,’ Lori said after a moment of silence.   
‘Well, we can’t exactly put chains around him and sentence him to hard labour,’ Andrea said.  
‘Look, say we let him join us, right, maybe he’s helpful, maybe he’s nice. We let our guard down, maybe he runs off and brings back his gang of thirty men,’ Shane said and Dale scowled.  
‘So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime he may never even attempt?’ He said. ‘If we do this, we’re saying that there is no hope. Rule of law is dead, there is no civilisation.’  
‘Oh my god,’ Shane said quietly and Tala squeezed his hand. He looked down at her and she shook her head.   
‘Could you drive him further out, and leave him? Like you planned?’ Hershel asked.  
‘You barely came back this time,’ Lori said. ‘There are walkers, you could break down, you could get lost.’  
Shane sat on the arm of the chair Tala was sitting on. His arm snaked around her shoulders and Andrea glanced at them. Tala leant into Shane slightly, a headache forming that she knew was going to be bad.  
‘You could get ambushed,’ Daryl said.  
‘We should not put our own people at risk,’ Glenn said.   
‘If you go through with it,’ Patricia said. ‘How would you do it? Would he suffer?’  
‘We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck?’ Shane said quietly and Rick nodded.  
‘I thought about that,’ He said, sighing. ‘Shooting may be more humane.’  
‘What about the body -’ T-Dog started asking Shane.  
‘Woah, woah, hold on, hold on,’ Dale interrupted and Tala rubbed her head. ‘You’re talking about this like it’s already decided.’  
‘Yeah, we’ve been talking all day,’ Daryl said. ‘Going around in circles, you just want to go around in circles again?’  
‘This is that young man's life!’ Dale said, his voice raising. ‘And it is worth more than a five minute conversation.’   
Tala didn't look at anybody. She stared at the ground as her right leg bounced up and down uncontrollably. She felt vaguely sick. Shane gently rubbed his thumb against Tala’s shoulder and she sighed lightly.  
‘Is this what it’s come to?’ Dale continued. ‘We kill someone because we can’t decide whatever else to do with him? You saved him!’ He said to Rick. ‘And now look at us, he’s been tortured, he’s going to be executed. How are we any better than those people that we’re so afraid of?’   
He looked at Tala imploringly and she got up unsteadily. She opened her mouth before shaking her head and walking out of the house, towards her tent. She got to the first bit of trees and collapsed. Her hand went to her mouth as she tried to take in breaths, her heart too fast for her chest. Her head and vision tossed and turned as if she was on a ship in the middle of the ocean. She felt like she was dying. Her blood felt like it was on fire and Tala curled up on the ground, crying silently, frozen from pain.   
They couldn’t be like those men. They weren’t like those men, were they? The thought of the older man, of _Eric’s_ blood all over Tala made her groan. The thoughts that had plagued her over the last few days came back with a vengeance, just as much so as her headache. Her fingernails raked down her arms, down her face, trying to scrape his blood off of her. She was a murderer. She killed him, without thinking, without hesitating. She had just, stabbed him, right in the throat. He could have had a family, or someone he cared about, waiting for him. And what about the other guy? She couldn't even remember his name properly.  
Hot liquid ran down Tala’s face and she tried to wipe her cheeks. She saw blood and started panicking more. Eric’s blood was still on her face. It had been there all along. Everybody could see the blood on her face, they all know that she killed him. She _killed_ him. He was _dead_ now. He was probably getting torn apart by walkers.   
Tala couldn’t breathe and her head pounded. When was she going to die? How had she been here for so long? Had it been minutes? Hours? Days? No, not days. The sun was up. Unless she hadn’t noticed it go down. Tala closed her eyes, rocking back and forth. She whimpered as she felt someone kneel behind her. They shook her, again and again.  
‘Tala,’ They said and she opened her eyes. Shane was knelt beside her, worry creased throughout his face. He wiped her cheek with his thumb and Tala looked around. ‘Hey, hey, look at me. You’re okay, it’s okay.’  
Dale was standing a small distance away, ringing his hat anxiously. Tala blinked, looking back at Shane. ‘I don’t, I, I don’t,’ She stammered and Shane gave her a sad smile.  
‘I know. It’s okay. Let’s get you up and into bed, okay?’ He said gently and Tala nodded. Shane lifted her up gently, telling her to wrap her hands around his neck as he brought her inside. He lay her onto the camp bed and kissed her forehead.  
‘Is Dale angry at me?’ Tala whispered and Shane shook his head.  
‘Of course he’s not. How could anyone be angry at you? You’re just trying your best,’ He said and tears spilled onto Tala’s cheeks again.  
‘He’s right, though,’ She said thickly and Shane wiped her face again.  
‘Don’t think about it right now,’ He said gently. ‘Just think about getting some rest.’ He went to stand up and Tala grabbed his wrist.  
‘Where are you going?’ She asked and he smiled.  
‘You left your blanket at the house. I’ll go and get it,’ He said and Tala let go of his wrist.   
‘Oh, okay,’ She said and he left. She turned over onto her good side and tried to get her mind back to normal. Her thoughts seemed just slightly too far away to reach. They were going so slowly, but there were so many of them that it seemed to go too fast.   
‘Tala?’ Dale asked gently from outside.  
‘Come in, Dale,’ She said quietly, sitting up, and he stepped through. ‘I’m sorry if I disappointed you.’  
‘No, no, don’t be,’ He said. ‘I’m sorry if I upset you. Your fears are, are valid. You have had more interactions with this group than I have and what happened must have been really horrific. But we can’t let that become the norm for this world.’  
‘You’re right. I don’t want to kill him but, but, I don’t know what else we can do, Dale,’ Tala said. Then she sighed. ‘You’re right, though. I’m sorry the group can’t do right.’  
Shane came back into the tent holding Ashley and Eliza’s blanket. He looked at Dale distastefully before putting the blanket over Tala.  
‘A blanket?’ Dale asked gently.  
‘My daughter’s favourite,’ Tala said with a smile. Dale nodded slightly and Shane cleared his throat.  
‘I don’t think you should be here, man,’ He said and Dale looked between him and Tala. Tala smiled again.  
‘I’ll talk to you when I wake up, Dale. I really need some rest right now,’ Tala said and he nodded. He looked back at Tala before stepping out of the tent and Shane sat down next to her. He gently stroked her hair and Tala leant into the warmth of his hand on her face.  
‘I love you, Shane,’ She said quietly and he smiled slightly.  
‘I love you too,’ He murmured and Tala’s eyes felt heavy.

.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:

The sound of unzipping woke Tala and she sat up, rubbing her eyes.  
‘Shane?’ She said quietly and he stopped.  
‘Go back to sleep,’ He replied.  
‘Are you going to do it?’ Tala said and Shane didn’t look at her. ‘Give me a minute to put on my shoes.’  
‘No, you don’t have to come,’ Shane said and Tala waved her hand.  
‘It’s okay, I’m not going to freak out. It needs to be done, it’s the safest option,’ She said and Shane came over as she started pulling on her boots.   
‘You’ve decided?’ He asked and Tala nodded, tugging at the laces.  
‘Yeah, I’ve decided,’ She said. ‘Dale’s just … going to have to deal with it, I suppose.’  
Shane helped Tala up and they walked over to the shed. Daryl brought Randall out and nodded to Tala. Rick came over, looked between the three of them and sighed before they made their way to the barn in silence, apart from Randall. He whimpered and moaned and cried. As they got closer to the barn, he looked between Daryl and Tala  
‘Hold on, hold on, hold on!’ He said frantically but nobody stopped moving. ‘Wait, wait wait!’  
‘Over there,’ Rick gestured to the middle of the barn and Daryl pushed Randall forwards. Shane pushed him to his knees and Tala leant against one of the supporting beams. She looked at Rick and he didn’t meet her eye.   
‘It's all gonna be over soon,’ Shane said quietly and Randall tried to look around as Shane tied a blindfold around his eyes.  
‘What? What's gonna be over soon?’ He asked.  
‘Relax,’ Shane said and Randall shook his head.  
‘No, no, no, no,’ He said and Shane looked up at Tala. He came over to her, standing by her side and she nodded to him.  
‘It’s alright,’ Tala said calmly and Randall turned his head towards her  
Rick looked at Randall, pulling his pistol from the holster. ‘Would you like to stand or kneel?’  
‘Oh, no, please,’ Randall sobbed. Daryl moved forward and pushed him down, pulling his hair back. He let go and Randall cried harder, kneeling in the middle of the barn. Rick looked up at Shane as Randall cried and Shane nodded to him. ‘Tala, you said you would see, you said!’  
‘Do you have any final words?’ Rick finally said as Tala clenched her jaw tightly.  
The sobbing continued. ‘No, please. Please don't,’ Randall said. Shane put his hand on the small of Tala’s back. She looked at him. He was just as uncomfortable as she was.  
Rick took a breath before raising the gun. He cocked it and steadied his hand slightly. The moment dragged on for what seemed like forever. Tala saw a movement from the corner of her eye. She looked at the door and saw Carl before she made her way over to him, shaking her head. He looked between her and Rick, and just before Tala could usher him away, he stepped forward.  
‘Do it, dad,’ He said, nodding. ‘Do it.’  
Rick, Daryl and Shane all looked around. Tala put her hand on Carl’s shoulder and shook her head.  
‘No, Carl, come on. Where’s your mum?’ She said quietly. Shane came over and stared at Carl.  
‘Are you kidding me?’ He asked, pushing Carl towards the door. ‘What'd I say to you? What did I say to you?’  
Rick lowered the gun and looked away. ‘Take him away,’ He managed to say. ‘Take him away.’  
‘Get up,’ Daryl said, grabbing Randall and hauling him up. Shane looked at Rick, tutted and left. Carl stared up at Randall and Tala started taking Carl away.  
Rick holstered his pistol and the three of them went back to camp together. Everyone turned and stared at them. Rick swallowed before shaking his head and looking at Tala.  
‘We’re keeping him in custody, for now,’ She said. Andrea smiled and stood up.  
‘I’m going to find Dale,’ She said. She walked away and Tala walked over to Carol.  
‘How are you holding up?’ Carol asked and Tala gave her a small smile.  
‘I’m okay,’ She said. ‘You okay with the whole, keeping him, thing?’   
Carol shrugged. ‘I don’t want to be a part of this. You guys decide what happens, I’m fine not having to decide.’  
‘I get that,’ Tala said, nodding. There were screams, and everybody looked up. Tala pulled out her pistol before hurrying as fast as she could towards the noise, limping slightly. Shane caught up with her and shook his head.  
‘Go back, don’t put yourself in danger,’ He said and Tala looked at him.  
‘It’s Dale! I have to help him!’ She kept going, her leg searing in pain. She realised that she didn’t hate it, that the feeling was almost nice.  
Everyone ran into the field as Dale screamed louder. Tala and Shane were the first there and Tala gasped as she saw that the walker was tearing into Dale’s stomach. She fired quickly and Shane shoved the walker off on Dale. Tala leant down, ignoring the protests from her leg and cupped Dale’s face in her hands.  
‘Listen to me, you’re okay, you’re going to be okay,’ She said quietly and Dale looked up at her, his eyes wide. Shane put his hand to his mouth, staring at Dale’s intestines. Tala kept telling Dale that it was okay as everybody crowded around, holding his hand.  
‘Hershel, we need you!’ Rick shouted and Andrea sat on the other side of Dale.  
‘Dale, it’s alright,’ She said and Tala nodded to her.  
‘You just listen to what we’re saying, okay?’ Tala said.   
‘He’s not going to make it back to the house,’ Hershel said. Tala kept eye contact with Dale and she nodded calmly.  
‘You’re alright, Dale, it’s okay,’ She said quietly.   
‘You’ll have to do the operation here,’ Rick said. ‘Glenn, get back to the house!’  
‘Rick,’ Hershel said gently. Tala looked up at Hershel and she nodded.  
‘No!’ He shouted and Andrea started crying. Lori, Maggie and Patricia sobbed as well. Tala gave Dale a sad smile.  
‘It’s okay, Dale,’ She said quietly. He nodded, grunting in pain. He looked up at her and panted.  
‘Did you do it?’ He groaned and she shook her head.  
‘We didn’t do it,’ She said quietly and he nodded again.   
‘He's suffering,’ Andrea cried. ‘Do something.’  
Rick pulled out his pistol. Andrea looked away and Tala told him one last time that it was going to be okay. Rick shook his head and Daryl took the pistol. He knelt down next to Dale and Dale pushed his head up towards the gun. Tala took her hands away and Shane pulled her up, holding her close.  
‘I’m sorry brother.’


	19. Last Stand

#  Nineteen 

##  **_L a s t s t a n d_ **

_ /lɑːst stand/ _

_ Noun - An act of determinedly holding or defending a position against a more powerful opposing force. _

✦

Tala got very little sleep that night. The wind buffeted against the tent for hours, and even when it died down she didn’t manage to fall asleep. Her mind went at a thousand miles an hour, skimming over different events. Was that the worst it was going to get? Dale’s intestines getting ripped out of him while he was still alive? Tala didn’t want to know how many more people she was going to have to watch die.  
When the sky started getting light outside and the birds were too loud to ignore, Tala pulled on her boots. She looked in the tiny mirror that Shane had hung up and grimaced. The bags under her eyes were unmissable, and as she changed the dressing on her shoulder, the stitches looked like they really wanted to become infected, but hadn’t quite made it yet. Tala sighed, tied her hair up with as little effort as possible and walked out of the tent. She looked around at the camp, serenely still, her eyes tracing the RV.   
She hunted for a shovel before making her way down to the small graveyard by the barn that was seemingly never going to stop growing. She looked back towards the farmhouse and sighed again. She dug into the dirt and tried to size the grave similarly to the others. She worked steadily, pushing past the faint pain, until all of the sun was in the sky.   
Tala wiped away the sweat from her forehead and looked up at the sound of footsteps. Rick made his way towards her and she leant on the shovel, breathing heavily, little clouds appearing as she did so. She hadn’t realised it was quite so cold.   
‘You been out here long?’ He asked and Tala shrugged.  
‘I didn’t get much sleep, thought I’d do something productive,’ She said. Rick looked at the open grave and nodded.   
‘I’ll bring him over,’ He murmured and Tala went back to digging. She had felt empty, nothingness making its home in her chest for the upteenth time, but now grief slowly started to fester. She dug furiously, her heart pounding as the dirt crunched. She hit a rock that jolted her body and she stopped again, pain searing through her shoulder that she couldn’t work through. Tears started pouring down her face as she saw blood staining the ground. The image of Dale’s stomach flooded her mind and she pulled herself out of the grave, flinging the shovel away from her. She took ten paces, taking deep breaths before picking up the shovel again, wiping her face and turning to find Shane and Rick driving the blue pick-up truck into the field.   
They lowered Dale’s body into the grave and Tala bit her nails as they clambered back out again. Shane came over to her and gave her a tight hug.   
‘You didn’t have to do that all by yourself,’ He said gently and she shrugged.   
‘It’s okay,’ She replied and Shane’s eyes traced her shoulder.  
‘How are you feeling?’ He asked and Tala sighed.   
‘I’m not really sure,’ She said and he nodded. ‘You?’  
‘Yeah, I’m not really sure either,’ Shane said. He picked up the shovel and started filling in the grave. ‘I’m not going to let you do all of the work,’ He muttered and Rick looked at Tala with a sad smile.  
‘Shall we go get everyone?’ He asked. Tala nodded and they made their way back up to the camp.  
‘Have you got any idea about what we’re going to do in the winter?’ Tala asked after a moment of silence. The cool wind sent a shiver down her spine as Rick looked to the farm house and sighed.   
Tala had always hated the winter, not only in Georgia but in Scotland, too. Where she had lived before, it wasn’t unusual for the snow to be so bad that they would be stuck inside the house for days at a time, the blizzards getting so bad and the temperatures becoming so low that the taps would freeze in the bathrooms and you would have to wear all of your clothes at one time. In Georgia, however, they didn’t really get snow that much, and if they did it would melt soon after. No, instead they had freezing rain. It would pour down like another autumn rainstorm and then you would find out the hard way that actually, it was winter time. Tala found it ridiculous and annoying.   
_ “Why can’t you just have normal snow?” _ She had grumbled to Shane while taking off her hat and gloves at the station, her jacket and trousers soaked and the chattering of her teeth uncontrollable. Shane had just laughed and threw her some new uniform, and Tala had sat by the heater for every possible second the entire day.  
‘I’m going to have a talk with Hershel, see whether we can go into the farm house. I was thinking the barn but Lori isn’t too keen on the idea,’ He said and Tala raised her eyebrows slightly as they walked, putting her hands in her pockets.   
‘I know the house is big but you really think all of us can fit in there?’ She asked and Rick shrugged.  
‘We can make it work, right?’ He asked and Tala looked around the farm. She smiled sadly and looked back to Rick.  
‘We can make it work,’ She said. He returned her smile and the group were up by the time they got to the campsite.  
‘If you’re ready to come down, we’re going to hold the funeral,’ Rick said solemnly. The chatter died and everyone made their way down. Glenn went up to the house to get Hershel and his family, and Tala quickly ducked into her tent. She pulled on her old station jacket and was instantly thankful for the fleece lining. She made her way back down and stood by Shane’s side as everyone gathered around. Beth placed a jar full of flowers at the head of the grave and Rick stepped forward.   
‘Dale could get under your skin,’ He started quietly. ‘He sure got under mine. Because he wasn’t afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare, and brave. Whenever I would make a decision, I would look at Dale and he would be looking back at me with that look he had. We’ve all seen it one time or another. I couldn’t always read him but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us, the truth. Who we really are. In the end he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honour him is to unbreak it, set aside our differences and pull together. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safety, our future. We're not broken, we’re going to prove him wrong. From now on, we’re going to do it his way. That is how we honour Dale.’  
Everyone placed a rock around the raised dirt and stood there for a moment longer. They all made their way back up to the campsite and nobody said anything for a moment. Tala’s headache pounded at the back of her ears and she sighed frustratedly.  
‘We’ve got to check the perimeter, see where the walker got through,’ Shane said and Rick looked around to him. He eventually nodded and looked around at the farm.   
Hershel came over and pointed out in the direction that they kept their cattle. ‘Start where Dale was killed,’ He said. ‘Then make your way around the fields where we keep the cows. Then check the rest of the fields and the other fences.’  
Shane nodded and Rick looked around at the group. ‘Take Andrea, T-Dog and Daryl out with you. Tala, do you want to go out with them?’   
‘I would like to take another look at her injuries, if you don’t mind,’ Hershel interjected as Tala nodded. She looked to him and frowned.   
‘I feel okay,’ She said and Hershel smiled slightly.  
‘I still want to check,’ He said and Tala nodded.  
‘Yeah, okay,’ She followed him up to the farm house as Shane got ready with the others. She sat down in the kitchen, pulling off her left jean leg and Hershel changed her dressings again.  
‘Did you dig the grave alone?’ He asked gently and Tala sighed.  
‘Yeah,’ She said and Hershel gave her a look. ‘I know I probably shouldn’t have but, to be fair, it didn’t hurt that much.’   
Hershel’s expression didn’t change as he went back to the wound. He dabbed on some water and cleaned it before putting a new dressing back on. ‘It’s going to be a difficult winter,’ He said after a moment. ‘A lot of our cattle has been lost this year, due to one thing or another.’  
Tala looked at him and gave a subtle frown as she gently pulled her jeans back up. ‘Do you put them in the barn in the winter?’ She asked and Hershel nodded.  
‘Yes,’ He sighed, turning his attention to her shoulder. ‘Which is another reason why I’m somewhat grateful Shane did what he did, although he hasn’t apologised. I’m telling you this because I’m going to let you all come inside the house, bring your things in. But,’ He looked at her with an expression that mixed sharpness and a strange feeling of guilt rolled into one. ‘He can’t keep acting the way he does if he wants to stay here.’  
‘I know that, so does he,’ Tala said before smiling. ‘Thank you, Hershel. I’ll be able to help around with the farm if you need it, it’s not fair you five just doing it on your own.’  
Hershel gave a wave of the hand as he finished changing the dressing. Tala hugged him before putting her jacket back on and Hershel gave a warm smile. They went outside as Shane pulled up in the pick-up, and everyone got out. They went over to Rick and Shane as Maggie joined them. Tala held Shane’s hand as she stood beside him and Hershel told them that they could go into the house.  
‘It’ll be tight, fourteen people in one house,’ Rick said.  
‘Don’t worry about that,’ Hershel said. ‘With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up.’  
‘With fifty head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell,’ Maggie added. Tala looked out to the fields before rubbing her thumb along Shane’s hand.  
‘She’s right,’ Hershel said, looking between Shane and Rick. ‘We should have moved you in a while ago.’  
Shane looked at Tala with raised eyebrows and she smiled. Rick gave a small smile before looking around the camp.  
‘Alright, let’s move the vehicles near each of the doors, facing out towards the road,’ Rick instructed. ‘We’ll need a lookout in the windmill and another in the barn loft, that should give us sightlines both sides of the property. T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house, keep track of everyone coming and going.  
‘What about standing guard?’ T-Dog asked.  
‘I need you and Daryl on double duty,’ Rick said quickly, glancing at Shane.  
‘Gotcha.’  
‘I’ll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there for a few days if needs be,’ Hershel said as he carried supplies back to the house.  
‘What about patrols?’ Andrea said.  
‘Let’s get this area locked down first,’ Rick looked up at Shane again and back to Andrea. ‘After that, Shane will assign shifts while me and Daryl take Randall off site and cut him loose.’  
Shane let go of Tala’s hand and she had a feeling she knew what he was going to say. ‘We’re back to that now?’ He said and she cursed internally.  
‘Right plan first time around, poor execution,’ Rick replied shortly.  
‘That’s a slight understatement,’ Shane retorted and Rick glared at him.  
‘You don’t agree, but this is what’s happening. Swallow it, move on,’ He said lowly. Tala looked between the two and sighed, rolling her eyes slightly.  
‘You know that Dale’s death and the prisoner are two separate things, right?’ Shane said, staring at Rick before snorting and looking away. ‘You want to take Daryl as your wingman? Be my guest.’   
He walked away, to their tent, and Tala looked at Rick. His eyes traced her shoulder, and then her leg, and he hesitated. He opened his mouth to speak, then looked away, and Tala scoffed. She followed Shane up to the tent and started packing everything back into their bags. There was silence until Shane dropped the mirror.  
‘Fuck,’ He said and Tala looked over as his fingers dripped with blood. She sighed, sitting him down on the bed and getting their first aid kit out again. She stopped the bleeding and put plasters on his fingers. As she was about to put the kit away, Shane held onto her hand and she looked over at him.  
‘I don’t,’ He hesitated and Tala sat next to him, her hands holding his. She looked at him for a moment longer, but he couldn’t manage to say it.  
‘What is it?’ She asked gently, her hand going to his cheek.  
‘He said come back but I’m not sure if I know how,’ He said quietly. He avoided her eye but looked up when Tala nodded slightly.  
‘I know,’ She said. He looked at her, desperately and hungrily and Tala sighed. ‘It’s difficult, I know. You’re trying so hard.’  
‘You know that doing it Dale’s way is going to get us killed, right?’ Shane said after a moment and Tala brought her hands back, looking away.  
‘No, it won’t,’ She said quietly.   
‘He was too good,’ Shane said. ‘He wasn’t meant for this world.’  
Tala paused for so long that Shane reached out to hold her hand again, watching her. She pulled her hand away from him and held it in her other palm. ‘No,’ She finally said. ‘Dale wasn’t meant for this world because he was the best of us. And now Rick is having to play the moral compass, or something, and he’s still so hostile. Doing it Dale’s way could work, we just have to do it most of the time and sometimes have to do the ‘wrong thing’ in order for us to survive.’   
‘Alright,’ Shane said, nodding slightly. Tala looked at him with a frown and he raised his eyebrows exasperatedly. ‘Now what?’  
‘You and Rick,’ She said and Shane’s expression went stoney. ‘See, exactly that. Can you two grow up? Please?’  
‘He’s the one replacing me,’ He said quietly and Tala sighed. ‘I get why, I do. My actions have been … shitty. It just stings.’  
Tala looked at him sadly and then to the broken glass. ‘Maybe this will be a good chance to be able to … come back to us,’ She said and Shane looked at her with raised eyebrows. ‘There will be less responsibility on your shoulders, you won’t feel so pressured to make such difficult decisions all the time, to be the one who has to keep the group safe all of the time.’  
Shane didn’t say anything for a moment. He kissed her gently, his hands going to her hair. He leant his forehead against hers and nodded slightly. ‘Okay,’ He whispered and Tala smiled.   
‘Okay,’ She said. She looked back at the first aid kit and frowned. ‘Should we tell them about this kit?’   
Shane looked at it before shrugging. ‘Just put it at the bottom of one of the bags.’  
Tala packed it away before tidying up the glass. The two tidied the tent away and before they put it with the others, Tala hesitated.  
‘What?’ Shane asked, holding a bag over his shoulder and the tent bag in his other hand. Tala looked at the car, parked beside them and out of eyesight of the others, and she shrugged.  
‘I was just thinking of something dumb,’ She said after a moment. ‘Ignore me.’  
‘The majority of my life so far has been dumb ideas that I managed to play out somewhat successfully. Tell me,’ Shane said with a smile and Tala bit her lip before opening the back door and pushing one of the bags and the tent into it. Shane raised his eyebrows. ‘You want to leave? Now?’  
Tala shook her head, closing the door after her. ‘No, it’s just incase. The bag has the first aid kit in it, and the little pieces of the girls that I have left,’ She said. ‘If we need to get out in a hurry, we’ll be able to take them with us and not worry about it.’  
‘How optimistic,’ Shane said and Tala shook her head with a smile, pushing him gently. ‘Smart, though. Not a dumb idea.’  
Tala kissed him gently and they took the last bag up to the house with the others. Tala saw Shane eyeing up Rick and she raised her eyebrows when he noticed her looking.   
‘I’m thinking of making a start on the windmill,’ He said. ‘Don’t know whether he’ll want to hear it.’   
Tala smiled and nodded. ‘Go for it,’ She said. Shane talked with Rick and Tala watched from the other side of the room. Rick glanced to her occasionally before nodding and clapping Shane on the shoulder. Shane came back over and Tala raised her eyebrows again. ‘So?’ She asked.  
‘So, are you going to come help me?’ Shane replied and Tala smiled. They went over to one of the outbuildings that looked so similar to the farm Tala grew up on, so much so she got shivers. The old, rusting cars that hadn’t been used in years sat surrounded by planks of scrap wood that hadn’t yet rotted and were in good condition. They gathered up suitable pieces for a ledge and occasionally Tala had to stop, giving her leg a break. When she tried lifting a slightly too heavy piece, she hissed in pain and dropped it, her right hand going up to the bandage. Shane stopped, hurrying over to her and sighed.  
‘Go and sit down for a bit, you’re going to end up pushing yourself too far,’ He said gently and Tala didn’t have the energy to fight him. She sat down in the boot of the car and watched him sort through more wood until Carl came over.  
‘Hey, guys?’ He asked and Tala waved as Shane looked around.   
‘What’s up, man?’ He said. ‘What are you doing wandering around out by yourself?’  
‘If, um,’ Carl hesitated slightly, looking between Shane and Tala. ‘If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell my parents?’   
‘Sweetie, you know we can’t promise that,’ Tala said and Carl nodded slightly.  
‘I think that’s probably a bad idea for all of us, bud,’ Shane said, going back to the wood. Tala beckoned to Carl and once he came over she lifted his chin with a finger gently, scanning his face.  
‘What is it, honey?’ She asked and he hesitated again. ‘You can talk to us, it’s alright. We won’t get you into trouble.’   
Carl looked back at the farm house before back to Tala. He pulled out Daryl’s gun and handed it to her. ‘I took it from Daryl’s motorcycle. If he found out I took it, he’d kill me,’ He said and Tala gave him a small smile as she checked the magazine and put the safety back on. Shane leant against the car, looking down at Carl.  
‘No, he won’t,’ Tala murmured gently, sliding the magazine back in swiftly.  
‘What were you doing with this?’ Shane asked in a tone that was much sharper than Tala’s and Carl turned away slightly, scuffing his shoes.   
‘Dale,’ He said and Tala looked up, putting the gun down beside her. ‘It’s my fault that he died.’  
‘Carl, why would you say that, man? He got bit by a walker, why would you -’ Shane said.  
‘I saw the walker, I was going to shoot it,’ Carl interjected. He paused, looking back down at the ground and Shane sighed, looking away. ‘It was stuck in the mud, I was throwing rocks at it and stuff. But I was going to do it, shoot it right in the head. It got free, came after me and I ran away. If I had done it, Dale would still -’  
‘Carl, come here,’ Tala said gently as Shane opened his mouth. Carl walked forward slightly and Tala pulled him into a hug. ‘It is not your fault. I’m not saying that you were right to go out there by yourself, because you weren’t. You put yourself in danger and that isn’t cool, man. What happened last night isn’t your fault, though. It could have happened at any time. When Shane went out earlier, they found a group of them feeding on one of the cows. It could have been one of them that had done it.’  
‘But it was the one that I saw! If I had put it down,’ He tried to say and Tala shook her head.  
‘If you had put it down the gunshot would have drawn far more to the farm,’ She said, holding his face in her hands, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb. ‘I know how awful you must feel. I get it. I’m sorry you feel that way. But this isn’t your fault, Carl. Don’t push it on to yourself. Learn from what happened and grow smarter, okay?’   
‘Carl, as long as we’re around ain’t nothing going to happen to you,’ Shane said, picking up the gun beside Tala. ‘But we can’t always be around you twenty-four-seven. Only you can do that. Take this, and protect yourself with it.’  
Carl shook his head, staring at the gun. ‘I’m never touching another gun again.’  
‘That ain’t an option, man,’ Shane said, his voice raising and Tala put her hand on his arm.   
‘Just give it back to Daryl,’ Carl said forcefully and walked away. Tala sighed and Shane ran a hand over his head.  
‘Oh, the joys of parenting,’ Tala murmured and Shane snorted, looking down at the gun. ‘Imagine being twelve and having the death of a man on your conscience.’  
Shane looked at her as Tala sniffed and wiped her face free of the tears that had sprung up. She took the gun back, shoving it behind her in her belt and nodded her head to the pile of wood.  
‘Let’s keep going,’ She said. ‘We can tell Rick once we’re done.’  
‘What are we going to say?’ He asked as Tala picked up a plank.   
‘The truth.’

.·:·.☽ ✦ ☾.·:·.

Shane drove the car back up to the farmhouse and Tala got out before he went to the windmill. Tala sighed, staring at the car before turning away and seeing Rick and Daryl on the balcony.  
‘Rick,’ She called out and he looked up. He nodded to her when he saw her and she looked at the map. ‘Where are you thinking of heading?'  
‘Senoia,’ He said and looked at her after a pause. ‘That’s not what you came here to talk about, is it?’   
Faint hammering was heard in the distance and Tala looked around to see Shane up on the windmill. She looked back at Rick and shook her head slightly.  
‘It’s about Carl,’ She said. He raised her eyebrows and leant forward.   
‘He say something to you? I’ll have a word with him, his attitude -’ He said and Tala shook her head.  
‘Of course not,’ She said before frowning slightly. ‘He was fine with us.’  
‘Oh,’ He said with a frown of his own. ‘What was it then?’  
‘I’m going to go for a piss,’ Daryl said and Tala waited until he had left before pulling out his gun. Rick’s frown deepened and Tala sighed slightly. There was a moment of silence as Rick simply stared at the gun, confusion swamping his face.  
‘Yesterday, Carl went out into the swamps with this, said he saw the walker that got Dale,’ She said and a car door slammed behind her. Shane stood next to her and Rick’s expression flickered slightly.  
‘You tell him?’ He asked and Tala shook her head.   
‘The walker was stuck in the mud but it got free and Carl got scared so he came back,’ Tala said before hesitating. The wind played with her hair slightly and the tension was worse than the humidity at the peak of the Georgia summer.  
‘I’ll have Lori talk to him,’ Rick said after a moment and Tala didn’t say anything. She looked up at him, rather reproachfully. He avoided her eye and she shook her head slightly.  
‘I think he wants to talk to his father,’ Shane said and Rick glared at him.  
‘I need this Randall thing done already,’ He said forcefully.  
‘Man that needs to wait, okay?’ Shane said and Tala held the gun in her hand loosely, the look on Rick’s face making her feel sick.  
‘It’s my call,’ He said and Shane paused for a moment.  
‘How about I ride out with Daryl? It would be good for us to spend a little time together,’ He suggested.  
‘Nah, I need you here,’ Rick brushed him off, the distaste dripping in his voice. Tala put the gun up on the fence to keep herself from flicking the safety on and off out of discomfort and nervousness. She scratched at the side of her hand, uneasiness flooding her.  
‘Don’t think I’ll handle the ride, huh?’ Shane pushed on and Tala shot him a look that he ignored.  
‘I’ll go,’ She interjected and the men didn’t even bother her with an answer.  
‘I didn’t say that,’ Rick said.  
‘What did you say?’ Shane said and Tala sighed.   
‘Guys,’ She said and they looked at her. ‘This is about Carl, not you two.’  
Shane nodded and looked back at Rick. ‘Well, why don’t you just give that back to Daryl, huh? Freeing that prisoner. More important to you than your own son.’   
He walked away and Tala sighed exasperatedly. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead before looking up at Rick.   
‘What is it with you two, still?’ She asked and he avoided her eye.  
‘You’ve seen his behaviour recently,’ He muttered and Tala shook her head.  
‘I’m not going to excuse that. Some of it has been atrocious, but,’ She said and Rick raised his eyebrows as she came around and up the stairs so that she was level to him and he waited expectantly.   
‘But?’ He asked, a tone in his voice that Tala didn’t care for.  
‘But you said to him, you told him to come back to us and you are  _ barely  _ giving him a chance. You are making him feel like he doesn’t matter to you anymore, that you don’t care about him anymore. I know that a lot of what he has done is not cool, but he is trying ridiculously hard to redeem himself,’ She said, digging her fingernails into her palm as she did so. ‘This little spat you have going on between you is getting annoying, Rick. He gets that you’re moving to Daryl as your ‘right hand man’ or whatever, because he understands that he hasn’t been acting great, but he said that it still hurts. He’s moved on, man. From Lori, from not being in charge. He doesn’t care about that anymore. He cares about you, and what you are constantly doing to him.’  
‘I’m not doing anything,’ Rick said with a sneer and Tala turned away from him before laughing and turning back.  
‘Get to fuck,’ She said, a cold smile on her face. ‘Every time you look at him it’s like you stepped in shit. Whenever you talk to him everyone can hear the pure distaste, hell, hatred even, in your voice. You’re a smart man, Rick. Why do you absolutely refuse to act like one?’   
Lori came outside and Tala handed the gun to Rick. She looked at Lori before looking back at Rick and shaking her head.  
‘I know we’re doing this Dale’s way, but I don’t think you should have taken his view on Shane to heart,’ She said quietly before walking away. Andrea and Glenn drove past the house in the RV and Tala felt a pang in her chest. Tears sprung to her eyes as she realised that he was really dead. She wiped her face, sighing as she watched Rick walked over to the barn quickly. Lori stood beside her and neither of them said anything.  
‘Do you know what happened, when they went out there the first time?’ Lori asked after a moment and Tala raised her eyebrows.  
‘What, Rick didn’t tell you?’ She said and Lori shook her head. ‘They got into a fight over the kid, from what I can tell. Walkers got involved and then -’ She hesitated, looking over the farm and sighing.  
‘What? What happened?’ Lori pressed on, her eyes wide already.  
‘Rick was going to leave him there. Shane was trapped, he was going to die. Rick got in the car and Shane genuinely thought he wasn’t going to come back,’ Tala said, turning back around to face Lori. She looked gobsmacked. She tried to say something and Tala only shrugged. ‘Surely you would have been relieved if he had went through with it? Don’t you think Shane’s dangerous, and possessive?’  
Lori blinked and shook her head. ‘Who told you that?’ She asked and Tala nodded to the barn, keeping her eyes forward.  
‘Rick did, when he was trying to justify his actions to me,’ Lori looked upset and Tala shrugged. ‘I suppose the point is that Rick came back, so we don’t have to worry about that anymore.’  
‘I’m sorry,’ Lori said as Tala started walking away again. Tala turned, her eyebrows raised and Lori stood there, crying. ‘I’m sorry for everything I’ve done. I’ve been so selfish, consistently. Not only the past few months but for years. I already apologised to Shane about what happened with us but I feel like I need to apologise to you about it too, so I’m sorry for being so selfish. I am.’  
‘I,’ Tala started, blinking slightly. ‘I didn’t think you needed to apologise to me.’  
‘What I had said to Rick, about Shane. Mark. I - Everything. I’ve said and done things badly, the wrong way, it’s messed so much up. Their relationship - I don’t know if it’s ever going to be the same and you have to live with that just as much as them,’ She said, wiping her face. ‘And if I’ve acted like the, the ‘Queen Bee’, ain’t that what Andrea said? Taking everything for granted. I’m sorry if I’ve overdone things, I’m sorry for being a, a bitch, at times, really.’  
Tala stared at Lori with a small frown, her mouth open but unmoving. She blinked again, then ran a hand through her hair. ‘Fuck, alright.’   
‘Alright?’ Lori asked and Tala shrugged, bewildered.  
‘Alright,’ She said with a small, bemused laugh and Lori laughed nervously. She went in for a hug and Tala scrunched up her face as the woman embraced her tightly.  
‘Thank you,’ She said thickly and Tala just patted her back awkwardly before Daryl parked the pick-up beside them. Tala excused herself before making her way over to Daryl and T-Dog.  
‘Do you need any help? It’s the least I can do after the other day,’ She said and Daryl waved his hand at her as he checked over Dale’s gun in his hand.  
‘What else was I gonna do?’ He said with a small smile before Rick came over.  
‘Ready?’ He asked and T-Dog nodded to the outbuilding Randall was being kept in.  
‘I’ll go get the package,’ He said and Tala went with him.   
‘Going to be honest, I’m glad to see the back of him,’ She said and T-Dog laughed slightly.   
‘Gonna be the end of a long time pain in the ass,’ He said and Tala gave him a small smile. The smile quickly vanished from her face and her eyes went wide as they noticed that the door was open, the lock broken from the inside.   
‘Fuck,’ She breathed and T-Dog scowled.  
‘Aw, hell no!’ He said before running back to the group. Tala went inside the shed, staring at the bloody handcuffs lying on a blanket. How had he managed to break the lock like that? Her eyes raked over the shed and she saw the pickaxe, flung to the side. It had been on the upper level. Nobody took it down because they didn’t realise they needed to.  
She went back outside, holding the pickaxe and shaking her head as everyone else came over. Rick, Andrea and Daryl all looked inside as well and Maggie called out as they ran over.  
‘What happened?’ She asked.  
‘Randall’s missing,’ Glenn said and Lori looked around.  
‘Missing? How?’ She asked and Tala held up the pickaxe before sighing.  
Rick came back out as Tala scanned the tree lines and she saw Shane, his face a bloodied mess as he stormed out from the treeline and Tala felt ill. She went to move towards him but he shook his head furiously.  
‘Rick!’ He shouted. ‘Rick!’  
‘What happened?’ Lori asked and he kept coming.  
‘He’s armed, he’s got my gun!’ Shane said and Tala sighed, putting down the pickaxe.   
‘Are you okay?’ Carl shouted.  
‘I’m fine, the little bastard just snuck up on me, clocked me in the face,’ Shane said and Tala stared at him, the blood pouring down his neck. She bit her nails nervously before going up to him and pulling out a piece of cloth that she had shoved in her pocket. Shane pushed her hand down gently. ‘We don’t have time,’ He said quietly and before Tala could protest Rick was at his side.   
‘Alright, T-Dog, Tala, get everyone back in the house, Glenn, Daryl, you’re with me,’ Rick ordered.   
‘Tala, give me your gun,’ Shane said, holding out his hand and she hesitated before tucking the cloth away.  
‘I’ll come with you, T-Dog, could you give him yours?’ She asked and Shane shook his head.  
‘No, you’re still injured, you need to stay here,’ He said firmly and as Tala opened her mouth to interject, Hershel gently touched her arm.  
‘You should stay here,’ He said and Tala sighed before handing her gun to Shane.  
‘Be safe,’ She said, holding his hand as he took the gun and he gave her a small smile in reply before kissing her forehead quickly.  
‘Just let him go, that was the plan wasn’t it?’ Carol asked. ‘To just let him go?’  
‘The plan was to cut him off far away from here, not on our front step with a gun,’ Rick said.  
‘Don’t go out there, you don’t know what could happen!’ Carol pleaded but Rick walked away with the others.  
‘Get everyone back in the house,’ He said as he walked passed Tala and she sniffed before turning away, getting rid of the worry on her face into something that she hoped looked comforting. ‘Lock all the doors and stay put!’  
‘Come on, let’s go,’ She said, taking Carol’s hand as she addressed the group. They all went back up to the house and Tala waited for everyone to go inside before T-Dog held the door open for her. She shook her head and stared at the fields, waiting for him to go inside too. He stood next to her and sighed.  
‘He managed to get out of those handcuffs,’ He said and Tala didn’t say anything. ‘How?’  
Tala ran a hand through her hair and sighed. ‘If you’ve got nothing to lose, it’s possible,’ She finally said. She looked around at the windows and finally at T-Dog. ‘We should get these windows boarded up before it’s too dark.’  
He nodded and went to get the wood with the pick-up. Tala bit on her nails, staring at the outbuildings before going inside to ask Hershel for his tool box. He gave it to her and followed her as she went back outside.   
‘Maybe we should have done what we said we’d do last night, save ourselves from this,’ He said after a moment as Tala put the box down. She didn’t reply and Hershel sighed. ‘That wasn’t right of me.’   
‘It's not the worst I’ve ever heard,’ She murmured and Hershel left as T-Dog carried up the first planks of wood. They began with the porch windows, working quickly with the last of the light that they had before moving around the house. They managed to do the entire of the ground floor until it became too dark for them to keep going, but that was all that mattered anyway. Tala avoided the rest of the group when they went back in, her anxiety cutting her patience short, and instead waited on the upstairs balcony with her shotgun in her lap as she sat on the floor. She couldn’t stop moving her foot anxiously, and it bounced up and down. She heard the door open behind her and jumped, turning to see Carl coming out. He had Shane’s binoculars draped around his neck and he looked nervous.  
‘Do you think they’ll find him?’ He asked and Tala sighed.  
‘I don’t know,’ She said after a moment. ‘It depends whether the walkers found him first.’  
‘Can I sit with you?’ He asked and she nodded.  
‘Of course, buddy,’ She replied gently, moving over so that he could sit beside her. She gestured to the binoculars and smiled. ‘Do you mind if I use them?’ She asked and he shook his head, handing them over to her. She looked out at the farm, although it was almost too dark to see anything. She felt uneasy, sat there doing nothing. She kept staring at the fields before she shook her head and gave them back to Carl.  
‘It’s so dark out, how will they be able to see anything?’ Carl asked and Tala gave him another small smile.  
‘Your night vision gets better the longer you’re in the dark,’ She said and Carl looked around.  
‘I can’t see very much,’ He said and Tala smiled slightly wider.  
‘It’s too light here, because of the lights in the porch,’ She said and Carl nodded before looking back out at the fields.  
‘I want to go find Dad and Shane,’ he said and Tala nodded, sighing.  
‘I want to find them too,’ She said quietly.  
‘Let’s go, now,’ Carl said and she looked at him, shaking her head.   
‘No, you’re not going anywhere,’ She said, pulling herself up and he jumped up after her.   
‘Why not? I can shoot, I can -’ He started and Tala leant down and held his face gently.  
‘Carl, do not go out there. It is far too dangerous and your mother would be worried sick,’ She said, opening the door and beginning to walk back inside. ‘You have to stay here. I know it’s difficult, but I also know that the walkers are much more scary when they’re in the dark, okay?’  
Carl stared at her in the dim hallway before walking back into a bedroom. ‘Fine,’ He muttered and took up a place by the window, staring out with the binoculars. Tala sighed before making her way back downstairs and finding Lori.  
‘Carl wants to go out, find Shane and Rick,’ Tala said quietly and Lori frowned. ‘I told him no, but I think I’ve got to go out there. I don’t trust either of them not to get in a fight.’  
‘Tala, what about your leg? And your shoulder?’ Lori asked, worry tinged in her voice and Tala waved her hand.  
‘I can walk without limping and my arm doesn’t hurt when I aim, so I think I’m good. Lock the door behind me, keep it locked and don’t let anyone else come out after me,’ She said firmly. Lori looked like she was about to say no before finally nodding and walking to the door, handing her a flashlight as they went.  
‘Stay safe, please find them,’ She said and Tala nodded shortly before running across the yard into the woodlands, carrying her shotgun close to her chest. She heard Daryl’s voice and called out gently.  
‘Daryl,’ She said and a flashlight came on. She turned her own on and went over to where Daryl and Glenn were standing.   
‘You shouldn’t be out here,’ Glenn whispered and Tala shook her head.  
‘I am and there’s nothing we can do about it,’ She said before looking around. ‘Which direction did the other two go?’  
Daryl pointed and Tala nodded before moving off, hurrying as quietly as possible through the trees, keeping herself low. She managed to find the track the men had left and kept walking until she found a break in the woodland and heard them up arguing. She turned the flashlight on and off several times to get their attention before running over to them.  
‘What are you two doing out here?’ She asked quietly and Shane glared at her, dried blood covering his neck and mouth. ‘There’s no other track apart from yours coming out this way.’  
‘What are you doing out here is the real question,’ Shane hissed, staring at her. ‘You were meant to stay back! Hershel insisted.’  
‘You insisted,’ Tala shot back coolly. She glanced down at the drawn guns, pointing towards each other. ‘What’s going on?’  
Rick didn’t lower his gun, glaring at Shane. ‘He’s dangerous, Tala.’  
‘Nah man, that ain’t it,’ Shane said, moving towards him. Tala shoved Shane backwards and stood in the middle of them.  
‘Stop it, both of you,’ She said quietly. ‘Take a good look at yourselves. You are best friends. What are you doing?’   
Rick kept his gun drawn, staring at Shane over the top of Tala. She stood up straighter, so that his gun was aiming directly between her eyes. He hesitated before lowering it, and Tala turned to see that Shane hadn’t lowered his. He spat out some blood and stared at Rick.  
‘Shane,’ Tala said quietly and he looked over at her slowly. She walked towards him, trying not to let the tear drip down her face and she took the pistol out of his hand, putting it in the back of her belt. She looked between the two men again and wiped her face. ‘What the fuck happened, guys?’  
Rick looked away for a moment before stepping towards them both and Shane instantly tensed, his hand closing around Tala’s wrist. She waited patiently for Rick to speak but he just sobbed instead.   
‘I was going to kill you, brother,’ He said, looking at Shane finally. Tala looked up at Shane and he looked shocked. ‘I’ve been letting everything get to my head and instead of, of helping you I -’  
Rick stumbled and Tala caught him slightly before he moved towards Shane. Shane didn’t move, staring at Rick before finally he spoke, his voice cracking.  
‘I’ve been trying so hard, man,’ He said, his hand going to Rick’s shoulder. ‘I don’t mean to be like this I’m just, I’m just scared.’   
Rick nodded, clutching at Shane and they hugged tightly. Tala heard cracking behind her and she turned but couldn’t see anything.   
‘I ain’t going to lie anymore, man,’ Shane continued and Tala turned back to them. ‘I’m not going to be who I was. I promise you that. And, Daryl, he’s a good guy. You two are going to lead great and I, I won’t be a problem anymore.’  
‘I’m sorry, brother,’ Rick sobbed. ‘I shouldn’t have let it get this bad, I just, I didn’t know what to do. Lori was in my ear, I was letting my doubts just eat at me I -’  
‘Don’t apologise, this was my fault. This is on me,’ Shane said and Tala heard a snarl behind them.  
‘I am so glad you two have finally gotten over yourselves, genuinely,’ She said quickly. ‘We can get onto the serious stuff now.’ She swung her knife into the walker that had advanced up behind them and they turned before nodding and they hurried up the hill together. Rick wiped at his face and Tala saw a figure at the fence. She shined her torch towards it and cursed when she realised who it was.  
‘Carl,’ She hissed as they got closer. ‘I told you not to come out, man. What are you doing here?’  
‘I wanted to find everyone,’ He said as more snarls sounded behind them. Carl raised his gun and Rick was about to stop him when he fired, hitting the walker in the head. It crumpled to the ground as Tala realised it was Randall and she looked around, biting her lip.   
‘Come on, let’s get back, She said and the men jumped over the fence before helping Tala over, despite her protests. Rick sighed, looking at the farmhouse before back at Carl.  
‘You two go on ahead, I want to talk to Carl a little,’ He said quietly and Shane and Tala made their way across the farm in silence.  
‘You shouldn’t really have come out,’ Shane said when Tala hissed in pain after stumbling slightly. He held her gently as she stood up straight and she waved him away slightly.  
‘You two would have ended up killing each other,’ She said quietly. ‘I’m glad I came.’  
Shane didn’t say anything and Tala sat him down in the hallway. Hershel came over with a cloth and an ice pack, and Tala took them from him with a smile. She wiped away the blood carefully before gently placing the ice pack on his nose. Shane sighed in pain slightly and Tala almost pulled her hand away but she kept it there. His under eyes were beginning to bruise and she gently stroked his hair.  
‘Little shit,’ He said quietly, looking in the mirror after taking the ice pack from Tala’s hand and standing. She snorted lightly as Lori walked through the house, looking panicked.  
‘Have either of you seen Carl?’ She asked and Tala turned, frowning.   
‘He’s outside with Rick,’ She replied and Lori’s eyes went wide.   
‘He’s outside?’ She almost shrieked.  
‘He came out to find us,’ Tala said. ‘We found him close by.’  
Lori shook her head, wandering off and Tala rolled her eyes as Daryl and Glenn came in. Glenn looked panicked and he stared at Tala and Shane. She looked at him with a frown and the rest of the group stood up.  
‘Rick isn’t back?’ Daryl asked and Tala shook her head.  
‘He’s still outside, talking to Carl,’ She said.   
‘Did you find Randall?’ Lori asked and the four of them nodded. Tala frowned again, running a hand through her hair.  
‘We saw him out in the field as a walker, managed to put him down,’ She said. ‘Where did you two see him?’  
‘Well, we saw something walking around. It was pretty dark, I couldn’t make it out perfectly but it seemed like him,’ Glenn said and Daryl nodded in agreement.  
‘Did you find the walker that bit him?’ Hershel asked and nobody made any gesture.  
‘I saw a couple,’ Tala said before shrugging. ‘It could have been any of them.’  
Lori walked up to Daryl, her hands together. ‘Please find Rick, and Carl. I don’t like the thought of them being outside in the dark.’  
Daryl nodded before he made his way back outside. Tala followed him out on the porch before stopping. Shane almost bumped into her, stopping in his tracks as his eyes followed where Tala was staring. Thousands of walkers were crawling their way towards the house. The breath got caught in Tala’s throat as she backed into Shane slightly. His hand wrapped around her wrist and she shook her head.  
‘Patricia, kill the lights,’ Hershel whispered.  
‘I’ll get the guns,’ Andrea said before walking back into the house with Patricia.  
‘Guns aren’t going to stop them, we’ll run out of ammo before we even make a dent,’ Tala hissed and Shane looked to Daryl.  
‘She’s right,’ He said and Daryl looked back at the group.  
‘Maybe they’ll just pass, like the herd on the highway,’ Glenn said and Tala looked back at Shane, terror in her eyes. ‘Should we just go inside?’  
‘Not unless there’s a tunnel I don’t know about,’ Daryl said. ‘A herd that size will rip the house down.’  
‘We’ve got to go,’ Tala said, shaking her head. ‘We can’t stay here.’  
‘My son’s out there! With Rick!’ Lori said desperately and Tala ran a hand through her hair again.   
‘I know, I know,’ She said hurriedly, looking back around to the barn. ‘They’ll be over there, but who knows how we’re going to get them out.’  
‘We can’t just leave them here!’ Lori said and Tala shook her head.  
‘We never said we would,’ She said gently and she could hear Lori beginning to tear up. Tala looked to Shane desperately and he seemed at a complete loss.   
‘Maggie,’ Glenn said as she handed him a shotgun and she stared at him.  
‘You grow up country, you learn a thing or two,’ She said quickly while loading her own.   
‘Ain’t got the numbers, it’s no use,’ Daryl said and Tala nodded. Hershel looked up at them, picking up a rifle.  
‘You can go if you want,’ He said calmly and for a minute, Tala really did want to. She wanted to get in the car with Shane and drive away from this entire mess. Panic flooded her body and she felt sick, but instead of running towards the Ford parked in the yard she scoffed and pumped the shotgun in her hand.  
‘You think you can take them all on?’ Daryl asked and Hershel looked back up again as he loaded the rifle.  
‘We have guns, we have cars,’ He said.   
‘We kill as many as we can,’ Andrea agreed and Tala bit her lip. ‘We use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm.’  
What an excruciatingly bad idea. They were low on ammo as it was - they were better off to run while they could and keep the resources they had instead of wasting them on a lost cause.   
‘You serious?’ Daryl asked and Shane stared at Hershel from beside Tala.  
‘This is my farm, I’ll die here,’ He said firmly and Daryl hopped over the porch fence.  
‘Alright, it’s as good a night as any,’ He said simply and as Hershel looked around at Tala, she could only shrug helplessly. Shane and Tala quickly got in the car as the others piled into the RV and the Greene’s cars. Daryl led the way, revving his motorbike loudly and Tala leant out the window of the Ford.  
‘This is such a terrible plan,’ Shane said and Tala snorted as she managed to get into a decent position. She looked back at Shane as he drove and she nodded.  
‘I love you,’ She said and Shane looked up at her quickly. He smiled, terror spread through that was too painfully obvious to hide.  
‘I love you too,’ He said before staring back out the windscreen. ‘That ain’t the last time we’re saying it to each other, I swear to god.’  
The barn went ablaze as everyone drove towards the land. Gunshots started ringing out and Tala began shooting, the recoil of the shotgun a steady pulse. Shane looped back around as she reloaded before they went again.   
‘This is no use,’ She said bitterly as she reloaded for a second time. ‘Doesn’t matter if I keep hitting every single shot I take - soon I’m going to have no more shots to fire.’  
‘Should have just ran from the get go,’ Shane muttered and Tala sighed before firing again. She could feel the heat of the fire from the fence. The RV trundled up towards the barn before coming to a stop beside it. Tala gestured for Shane to head back around to the house.   
‘Get up there, stop them from getting too close,’ She said and Shane nodded. They went back around and Tala started shooting again, trying to take down some of the walkers heading towards Hershel. The walkers started swamping the house and Tala shook her head, taking down as many walkers as they could. She kept going until she ran out of ammo, and she saw the pick up truck leaving. Tala looked around, aiming at another walker before one ran towards her, faster than she’d seen a walker move before. It tried grabbing at her hair and she yelped, scrambling backwards into the car but it held on, snapping at her face. She struggled and Shane tried to push it off her. Tala reached around to his belt, pushing the walker back as much as she could before getting a hold of Shane’s knife and plunging it into the walker’s head. It fell, it’s dead weight on top of her and Tala panted as she tried to shove it back out of the window. Several other walkers were beginning to come towards them and Shane managed to shove it out before they got too close, Tala closing the window and gasping for air.   
Shane started moving the car again, looking around at Tala. He held out his hand and gently caressed her face while shaking his head, looking back at where he was going.   
‘We have to leave,’ Shane said as they saw Maggie and Glenn leaving too. Carol’s saloon car went racing after them and they too drove quickly down the long road. 


	20. Flee

#  Twenty

##  **_F l e e_ **

_ /fliː/ _

_ Verb - To run away from a place or situation of danger. _

✦

Tala didn’t look back at the farm as she put her shotgun next to Shane’s on the back seat. She looked down at the bags and turned back around as Shane clutched at her hand. He drove steadily, staring straight ahead.  
‘We should go back to the highway,’ He said after a moment and Tala nodded, holding his hand tightly. ‘That’s where Rick will be going.’  
‘Who did you see get out?’ She asked and Shane didn’t look at her still.   
‘Glenn and Maggie, Lori got into the pick up with Beth and T-Dog,’ He said before frowning. ‘I think Hershel and Rick were in Carol’s old car.’  
‘And Carol? Did you see Carol?’ Tala asked, dread in her chest and Shane didn’t answer. Tala couldn’t say anything else, her voice stuck in her throat. They got to the highway and Shane sped up steadily. When Tala saw the speedometer climb past 90 she put her hand on Shane’s arm and shook her head. ‘Shane. We’re okay, love,’ She said gently and Shane blinked before slowing down considerably. They slowed to a stop where they had waited for Sophia and Tala got out shakily before hugging Shane tightly.  
‘We made it,’ He murmured into her hair and she laughed a sob into his chest.  
‘We made it,’ She said quietly before looking over to see Carl staring at them. ‘Carl, Rick,’ She said through tears and Rick turned.   
‘Thank god,’ He said before looking around slightly. ‘Did you see Lori? Did she make it?’  
‘Shane saw her get in the pick up, with T-Dog,’ Tala said quietly before looking around. ‘They got out, but I have no idea where they went.’   
Rick nodded before wiping his face and crouching down beside Carl. Hershel was sat beside a car and Tala knelt beside him before hugging him.  
‘I’m sorry,’ She said. ‘I’m sorry we couldn’t save your home.’  
‘There were so many of them,’ He said after a long moment. ‘They just kept coming.’  
‘I know,’ Tala murmured. ‘I don’t know how they do it.’ Hershel didn’t reply and Tala went back to Shane. He was looking in the back seat of the car and he pointed to the bags.  
‘Smart idea,’ He said and Tala smiled sadly.   
‘I didn’t realise we would be leaving so soon,’ She said and Shane pulled her into another hug. They waited on the hood of the car until Daryl made his way through the crowded highway, Glenn and Maggie and the pick up truck behind him. Carol was sat behind Daryl, blood on her neck and Tala hurried over to her, hugging her tightly.  
‘Thank god,’ She said as Carol hugged her back tightly. Tala pulled away slightly, tears in her eyes and she smiled. ‘Thank god.’  
Carol didn’t say anything, smiling weakly as Shane clapped Daryl on the shoulder. Rick and Carl reunited with Lori as the Greene’s hugged tightly.  
‘Where’d you find everyone?’ Rick asked and Tala held Shane’s hand tightly.  
‘Well, those guys' tail lights zigzagging all over the road,’ Daryl said. ‘Figured he had to be Asian, driving like that.’  
‘Good one,’ Glenn said with a small smile. Daryl looked around before raising his eyebrows to Rick.  
‘Is this us?’ He asked and Rick looked around.  
‘We’re the only ones who made it so far,’ He said and Tala moved into Shane slightly, a dull ache forming on the top of her head as the morning sun shone in her eyes. They hadn’t slept at all, and it had been a long night. It was evident in everyone’s faces, pale and grey and bags under exhausted eyes.  
‘Andrea?’ Glenn asked and Carol shook her head.  
‘She saved me,’ She said. ‘Then I lost her.’  
‘We saw her go down,’ T-Dog said, standing by the pick-up truck and Shane sighed.   
‘Patricia?’ Hershel asked and Beth shook her head next to him.   
‘They got her, too, took her right in front of me. I was holding onto her, daddy.  She just -’ She explained before sobbing and Hershel pulled her into his chest as Maggie rubbed her back. Tala ran a hand through her hair and stayed silent, the gunfire still echoing in her head.  
‘What about Jimmy?’ Beth asked suddenly. ‘Did you see Jimmy?’  
‘He was in the RV,’ Rick said. ‘It got over run.’  
Beth started sobbing more and Carol looked around to T-Dog.  
‘You definitely saw Andrea?’ She asked.  
‘There were walkers everywhere,’ Lori said after a moment, looking to T-Dog, too.  
‘Did you see her?’ Carol asked again. T-Dog didn’t answer, leaning against the door of the pick-up and Daryl moved towards his bike.  
‘I’m going back,’ He said and Rick held his hand out.  
‘No,’ He said firmly and Daryl looked up at him, a faint expression of bewilderment on his face.  
‘We can’t just leave her,’ He retorted.  
‘We don’t even know if she’s there,’ Lori said and Rick looked up.   
‘She isn’t there, she isn’t,’ He said forcefully. ‘She’s either somewhere else or she’s dead. There’s no way to find her.’  
‘So we’re not even going to look for her?’ Glenn asked and Tala looked around to see a walker making its way up. She sighed, unsheathing her knife before going up and pushing it against one of the abandoned cars, driving the knife through its eye socket. It squelched unpleasantly and she yanked her knife back before going to Shane’s side.  
‘There have been walkers crawling all over here,’ Rick continued as she came back and T-Dog straightened up slightly.  
‘I say go east,’ He said.   
‘Stay off the main roads,’ Daryl said. ‘Bigger the road, the more walkers, more assholes like that one.’ He gestured to the walker on the ground and Tala sighed.  
‘If we’re going to go, we’ve got to leave now,’ She said and Rick nodded before waving his arm  
‘Alright, let’s go,’ He said. Shane, Tala and Carol got in Shane’s Ford as the Greene’s got into their car with Glenn. Rick, Lori, Carl and T-Dog got in Carol’s car and they made their way down the highway, Daryl leading on his motorbike. Tala stared at the dried blood on the window from the walker that had managed to crawl its way through until she fell asleep, every bump in the road jolting her awake again, causing her hand to go to her knife. After the fourth time it happened, she stayed awake before swapping places with Shane, his eyes drooping dangerously. As he got some sleep, Tala gently stroked her thumb against the side of his hand, watching as the petrol tank slowly seeped to near empty.   
Carol slept in the back seat peacefully and Tala’s mind wandered to Andrea. She thought about whether she was on the run before she let go of Shane’s hand, running a hand through her hair and cursing under her breath. Shane’s eyes flickered open and he looked at her blearily.  
‘What’s wrong?’ He asked, concern in his voice and Tala glanced at him.  
‘Nothing, go back to sleep,’ She said as he stretched and Shane shook his head.  
‘What is it?’ He asked and Tala sighed before nodding her head to the bag seat.  
‘I’m out of ammo on the shotgun, and I don’t think any of us brought the gun bag with us, did we?’ She said and Shane’s face dropped. He rubbed his eyes with a sigh and shook his head, looking out the window.  
‘I didn’t see anyone with it, and I don’t think it’s in the Greene’s car,’ He said before cursing too. ‘Fuck, what are we going to do?’  
Tala didn’t say anything as a horn sounded and the caravan came to a stop. They got out, Tala stretching slightly in the middle of the road as everyone gathered around.  
‘You out?’ Daryl asked Rick and Shane looked around warily, keeping his shotgun close to his chest.  
‘Running on fumes,’ Rick replied with a shake of the head.   
‘We can't stay here,’ Maggie piped up and Shane hummed in agreement, his back turned slightly as he kept an eye on the forest line.  
‘We can't all fit in one car,’ Glenn countered and Rick turned around quickly.  
‘We'll have to make a run for some gas in the morning,’ Rick said and Tala looked around.   
‘Where?’ She said. ‘Is there anywhere close enough?’  
‘Spend the night here?’ Carol asked and Carl shoved his hands in his hoodie.  
‘I'm freezing,’ He piped up and Lori rubbed her hand against his chest comfortingly.  
‘We'll build a fire, yeah?’ She said and Tala didn’t say anything, looking at how exposed the road was.   
‘We’ll go out looking for firewood, stay close,’ Daryl agreed before looking at his crossbow. ‘Only got so many arrows, how you doing on ammo?’  
‘Went out last night on the shotgun, Shane has a round left and there’s not much more for the pistols,’ Tala said and Rick sighed, shaking his head.  
‘Not enough,’ He murmured and Shane lowered his gun to his side, tapping his finger against it nervously. Tala held his free hand gently, running her thumb against the side of his hand again and he smiled softly at the reassuring gesture.  
‘We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out,’ Maggie said and Tala tilted her head towards her before Hershel shook his head.  
‘Watch your mouth,’ He said lowly and Shane stood forward slightly.  
‘Everyone stop panicking and listen to Rick,’ He said and Rick nodded to him. Tala squeezed his hand, appreciating the fact that he was being so well behaved more than he probably realised.  
‘All right, we'll set up a perimeter. In the morning, we'll find gas and some supplies,’ Rick began as he looked around. ‘We'll keep pushing on.’  
‘Glenn and I can go make a run now, try and scrounge up some gas,’ Maggie said and Rick turned to her sharply.   
‘No, we stay together,’ He said forcefully and Tala rubbed her neck, her eyes going over the treelines every few seconds. ‘God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car.’  
‘Rick, we're stranded now,’ Glenn said after a moment.  
‘I know it looks bad, we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other,’ Rick said as Carl shivered and the breeze sent a chill down Tala’s back. ‘I wasn't sure, I really wasn't but we did, we're together. We keep it that way, we'll find shelter somewhere. There's gotta be a place.’  
‘I don’t know, Rick,’ Tala said. ‘I don’t think it’s here.’ He glared at her slightly and she shook her head, looking back at the road behind her.  
‘Rick, look around,’ Glenn continued. ‘Okay? There's walkers everywhere, they’re migrating or something.’  
‘There's gotta be a place, not just where we hole up, but that we fortify, hunker down, pull ourselves together, build a life for each other,’ Rick said, beginning to get desperate. ‘I know it's out there. We just have to find it.’  
‘Even if we do find a place and we think it's safe, we can never be sure. For how long?’ Maggie said. ‘Look what happened with the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinking that that was safe.’  
‘We won't make that mistake again,’ Hershel said quietly.   
‘We'll make camp tonight, over there,’ Rick pointed to some stone ruins and Tala bit her lip nervously. ‘Get on the road at the break of day.’  
Tala felt uneasy. Even the camp at the quarry had been better than this. There had been wire fencing with cans to trap walkers and alert people that they were there. It wasn’t much, but it was enough when it needed to be. This place was too open, too unprotected. They were like sitting ducks in the shooting season.   
‘Does this feel right to you?’ Carol asked Daryl and he didn’t answer her as Beth ran up to Rick.  
‘What if walkers come through, or another group like Randall's?’ She asked and Rick didn’t answer.   
‘We saw him, just after he had turned, but we couldn’t see any other walkers at the time, man. There weren’t any near us, we were on the opposite side of the woods from the herd,’ Daryl said and Rick looked up at him.  
‘Are you saying he wasn’t bit?’ Tala asked and Daryl nodded.  
‘There were no geeks where he was. I followed his tracks, there was nothing,’ He said and Tala shook her head.  
‘That’s not right, you must have -’  
‘We're all infected,’ Rick said lowly and everyone stopped, staring at him. Tala turned to him slowly, frowning and Shane seemed to sag slightly next to her.  
‘What?’ Daryl said after a moment dragged by. Tala swallowed, staring at Rick and shaking her head.  
‘At the CDC, Jenner told me,’ Rick managed to say and Tala turned back around, staring back down the road. ‘Whatever it is, we all carry it.’  
‘You didn’t say?’ Tala asked, her temper flaring from nerves as she breathed heavily.  
‘You never said anything?’ Carol reiterated after a moment of silence and Daryl turned away from him.  
‘Would it have made a difference?’ Rick asked and Tala scoffed. Shane reached out to Tala and she went to him before he pulled her in close, putting his lips to the top of her hair.  
‘He really ain’t making it easy to like him, right about now,’ He whispered and Tala sniffed.   
‘Don’t get me started,’ She muttered as the rest of the group talked.  
‘You knew this whole time?’ Glenn said dejectedly and Rick leant forward towards him.  
‘How could I have known for sure? You saw how crazy that m-’ Rick tried to explain but Glenn shook his head.  
‘That is not your call,’ He interrupted. ‘Okay, when I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told, for the good of everyone.’  
‘Well, I thought it best that people didn't know,’ He said aggressively and Glenn stared at him. Tala cursed and Rick looked around at her, a dangerous look in his eye and she shook her head with a disgusted look on her face before he walked away, up the road. Tala stared after him as he went before sighing and looking around at the group.  
‘Doesn’t look like we’re going any further tonight, guys. Get your stuff and let’s set up camp,’ She said and everyone looked towards her. ‘We’ll leave the cars on the road, but make sure to layer up. It’s going to get even colder tonight.’  
Everyone started getting their things together and Tala went back to the car with Shane. They grabbed their bags before going over to the structures and Daryl went to get firewood. Shane handed Tala an extra jumper as she shivered slightly and she smiled gratefully as she put it on.  
‘What is he doing?’ Shane murmured, looking back at the road and Tala shook her head.  
‘If I had a walker head for every time Rick Grimes has confused me, I would be halfway to fixing the world right now,’ She said and Shane snorted lightly before hugging her gently.  
‘I love you,’ He said and she sniffed before kissing him.  
‘I love you too,’ She said with a small smile. ‘Now to make sure this isn’t the last time, either.’  
Daryl came back soon after and Tala set the fire with him. They huddled around and Tala looked around at everyone.  
‘No one brought the gun bag, did they?’ She said after a moment and everyone shook their head. Tala sighed, leaning into Shane and he put his arm around her shoulder, sucking the air between his teeth. Lori looked over at them like she wanted to say something but stayed where she was beside Carl and Tala didn’t take much notice of her. The air was bitter and becoming colder with every hour and the fire wasn’t doing much with how low it was.  
‘We're not safe with him. Keeping something like that from us,’ Carol whispered, turned away from Tala, looking at Daryl. ‘Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down.’  
‘Nah,’ She heard Daryl murmur. ‘Rick's done all right by me.’  
‘You're his henchman and I'm a burden,’ She continued. ‘You deserve better.’  
‘What do you want?’ Daryl asked.  
‘A man of honour,’ Carol said quietly.  
‘Rick has honour,’ Daryl said confidently and Tala bit her tongue. She stared at the fire, feeling Shane’s comforting warmth behind her and she tried to relax her muscles slightly.  
‘I think we should take our chances,’ Maggie said from across the fire.   
‘Don't be foolish,’ Hershel said lowly, shaking his head as he held Beth. ‘There's no food, no fuel, no ammo.’  
‘What was that?’ Beth asked, hearing a crack in the woods.   
‘Could be anything,’ Daryl said, straightening up. ‘Could be a raccoon, could be a possum.’  
‘Walker,’ Glenn murmured and Shane leant closer to Tala.  
‘Bear,’ He breathed and Tala shook her head, refraining from smiling too widely, squeezing his hand gently.  
‘We need to leave, I mean what are we waiting for?’ Carol said, fear in her voice.  
‘Which way?’ Glenn said.  
‘It came from over there,’ Maggie pointed and Tala stood up, looking around.   
‘Back from where we came,’ Beth said.  
‘Yeah,’ Maggie murmured.  
‘It’s okay,’ Tala said quietly. ‘Everyone needs to calm down a little bit, don’t panic. We stay quiet, we keep these open bits covered and we’ll be okay. We know how to handle ourselves, it’s alright.’  
Shane nodded his head next to her and Tala saw Lori agreeing too, holding Carl close to her. T-Dog looked down from the top of the wall and nodded before looking back out at the woods, but Carol and Beth still looked sceptical.   
‘The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark,’ Rick said lowly from one of the entrances and Tala looked at him pointedly. ‘We don't have the vehicles. No one's travelling on foot.’  
‘Don't panic,’ Hershel said, looking around and Tala kept her eyes on Rick, unable to keep the distaste off of her face.   
‘I'm not, I'm not sitting here, waiting for another herd to blow through,’ Maggie said somewhat calmly. ‘We need to move, now.’  
‘No one is going anywhere,’ Rick said forcefully, glaring at Maggie.  
‘Do something,’ Carol practically hissed and Rick turned to her.  
‘I am doing something!’ He spat. ‘I'm keeping this group together, alive.’  
‘Rick,’ Tala said lowly and he ignored her.  
‘I've been doing that all along, no matter what, I didn't ask for this!’ He continued and Tala sighed. ‘I almost killed my best friend for you people, for Christ's sake! Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe, maybe it's just another pipe dream. Maybe - maybe I'm fooling myself again.  Why don't you - Why don't you go and find out yourself? Send me a postcard.  Go on, there's the door. You can do better? Let's see how far you get.’ He paused, staring at the group and Tala raised her eyebrows, staring at him from across the fire. ‘No takers? Fine, but get one thing straight. If you're staying, this isn't a democracy anymore.’  
Once he was finished his speech, Tala shook her head before scoffing.  
‘I never noticed this before, and maybe it was because of work, but you know what, Rick? You really butcher the art of making other people think you’re right all the time,’ She said, stepping towards him. ‘You are constantly shoving your opinion, your way of doing things and, quite simply, your demands down everyone’s throats. If it isn’t something that you said, or agree with, then it is not valid and you will ignore it.’ She took another step forward and eyed Rick with a scowl.  
‘You said we were doing things Dale’s way, Rick,’ She said when he didn’t say anything. ‘This doesn’t look like it to me. It looks like you’re throwing a tantrum when people aren’t agreeing with you.’  
Rick bristled. ‘I’m trying to keep you people safe! I didn’t ask for this, you all decided -’  
‘We decided what?’ Tala said incredulously. She stared at him as he glared at her and she gestured to the group. ‘We made you tell us what to do? We made you keep Jenner’s little discovery all to yourself? We made you do that?’   
‘You people needed a leader, you all made me your leader,’ He said heatedly. ‘Maybe you didn’t say it directly but you did through your actions.’  
‘I’m saying it now, Rick. You’re wrong,’ Tala said, shaking her head. ‘If you really mean that, if you really mean it’s not a democracy anymore then you are ridiculous. Do us all a favour and get over yourself before you start trying to tell us what to do again and end up killing us all.’  
Rick stared at Tala, looking like he was about to punch her as she stood two steps away from him. Nobody said anything for a moment as Tala stood her ground, and Rick breathed heavily before shaking his head and walking away. The group stayed quiet, sitting back down and eventually they all settled down to sleep, although how much anyone got, Tala couldn’t say.


End file.
